Advent of Washu: Cascade
by Alan
Summary: Nothing is permanent - all things fall apart. Part two of the Advent of Washu story arc. Updated with major improvements to Chapter 5
1. Recession of the Wills

[Insert standard disclaimer here]  *I am nothing, therefore I can possess nothing.*

Pioneer AIC is the owner of Tenchi Muyo.  I created only these writings and the original characters.

R&R may be sent to cgrundhofer@fanfiction.net

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**The Advent of Washu**

**-Cascade-**

Being part 2 of 

_The Advent of Washu_,

A _Tenchi Muyo_ FanFiction

C. Alan Grundhofer

The Advent of Washu

-Cascade-

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Recession of the Wills

          Her gaze was captivating, the way she was sitting there, looking at him and grinning, the light from the moon reflecting off the lake, silhouetting her against the window.  He was lost in the moment, standing there in the middle of the room, looking at the small woman sitting on the couch.  He stared at her, and she stared back, smiling.

          _. . . Wisps of smoke drifted slowly between them. . ._

          "Mister Yakagamo, right?" she asked, rising to her feet and stepping forward.

          Shinjiro shook his head clear and gathered his thoughts together, surprised at how shocking it had been to finally come face to face with her.

          "Yeah, that's right," he said, walking fully into the room.

          "Glad ta Meetcha'."  She held out her hand.

          "So this is the famous Washu, huh?  'Greatest scientific genius in the Universe.'" he said, shaking her hand.

          "You know, you really had Mihoshi worried, the way you yelled at her earlier."

          Shinjiro shrugged.

          Katsuhito cleared his throat.  "I'll be with Ryoko, if you need anything," he said, grabbing a tea tray from the table and heading for the stairs.

          Washu gestured at the couch.  "Take a seat," she said to Shinjiro.

          "Don't mind if I do."

          "Well, Lieutenant," she said, sitting on the opposite end of the couch from Shinjiro.  "I'd like to know what you wish to accomplish here tonight."

          Shinjiro grinned as he leaned back in the couch.  "Not much for small talk, are you?"

          "I doubt you came all this way just to chit-chat."

          Shinjiro folded his hands behind his head and looked over at Washu.  "Actually, I came to find out what you were doing at G.P. headquarters on the day it was destroyed."

          Washu smiled.  "Yes, Mihoshi did say something about that."

          "So . . . what about it, then?"

          "You know what I'm going to say."

          Shinjiro leaned forward.  "Only someone from the Science Academy would know how to undo Kain's subspace lock."

          "I could have done it, if I had wanted to.  But I didn't."

          "I saw you there."

          "No you didn't."

          "You were boarding an escape pod on deck thirty-three, one deck below the controls for Kain's subspace lock-up."

          "And you think the person you saw was me?"

          Shinjiro shrugged.  "Not too many women around with spiked red hair and bright green eyes, who go running around in old Science Academy uniforms, now are there?  Besides, I'm good with faces."

          Neither spoke for a moment.

          The moonlight sparkled off the lake.  Washu sighed.  "I can see that nothing I can say will make you change your mind."

          "Would you change yours?" Shinjiro asked, getting to his feet and looking around the darkened living room.  "So where's Detective Mihoshi?  I need her to take us to Jurai."

          Washu looked up at him.  "What's wrong with your ship?"

          "It's not mine."

          "Oh."

          Shinjiro blinked.  Why had he told her that?

          "Anyway," she said, "Mihoshi's upstairs."  She nodded at the stairway.  Shinjiro looked over his shoulder.

          "Up there?" he said, thumbing at the stairway.  Washu nodded.  Shinjiro sighed.  "Alright, but you're first.  Can't have you sneaking out the back while I'm not looking."

          "Fine with me."

          When they reached the top of the stairs he saw the old man and the blonde detective sitting next to a futon.  A woman was lying on top of the cushion, the blankets shoved off to one side, and she was gingerly rubbing her temple, as if waking up with a hangover.  A little girl with pointed ears and skunk-stripped hair was standing over her, fussing worriedly.  Washu crossed the room and dropped herself into one of the large carrot-shaped cushions that littered the floor.  Shinjiro stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, taking everything in.  Mihoshi looked over her shoulder and gasped, jumping to her feet and saluting him.  He shook his head and motioned for her to sit back down.

          "How ya' feelin', Ryoko?" Washu asked.

          "Like hell, what's it look like?" Ryoko groaned.

          "Have some tea.  It'll help with the headache."

          Shinjiro stepped into the room and walked around to where Washu was lounging in her cushion.  Ryoko looked up at him, then grabbed a cup of tea from Katsuhito's tray and downed it in one gulp.  She sighed, dropping the cup and falling back onto her pillows.

          "So, you're the cop, eh?" she asked.

          "Yeah.  Lieutenant Yakagamo, G.P."

          "You're insane, you know.  Thinking Washu could do that.  She may be crazy, but she's no criminal."

          "That's up to the courts to decide.  I just bring 'em in."

          "Good luck."

          The corner of his mouth pricked up in a little half-smile.  "Planning on causing trouble?"

          "Maybe."

          "Why are you doing this?" Mihoshi asked.

          "Because she's the only lead I've got at the moment," he said, still watching Ryoko, "and it's my job."  He looked over at Mihoshi.  "Yours too, in case you've forgotten."  He stared at her for a moment, then glanced at Washu.  The scientist looked back at him, not moving from her lounged position on the cushion.  He pulled a set of handcuffs from his belt and cocked his head.  "Alright, Hakubi, I've wasted enough time.  Let's go.  Kuramitsu, get your ship prepped."

          "But. . ."

          "Now!  You're taking us to Jurai."  He took a few steps toward Washu, their eyes still locked on each other.  Ryoko sat up and winced, leaning on her elbow.  Katsuhito's eyes narrowed to slits.  The little girl watched them, confused and worried.

          Washu's eyes gleamed.  "If that's the way you want to play. . ."

          Shinjiro nodded, stepping forward again.  Washu stood and held out her wrists.  Shinjiro hesitated for a second, then slapped on the cuffs.

          _. . . Bring her . . ._

          He felt the bail's of the cuffs clicking together, each individual ratchet translating through the cold steel and into his hands.

          _. . . Yes . . ._

          "I can put a ribbon on that, if you like," Washu said from behind him.  Shinjiro blinked and whirled around.  Washu was leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs, a little cat (rabbit?) sitting at her feet.  Washu laughed and took off down the stairs, grabbing the cat-creature by the scruff of its neck on her way down.  Shinjiro's jaw dropped, and he turned back to where he had Washu cuffed.  He was holding onto a large, Washu-shaped doll.  Ryoko started laughing.

          "Goddamnit!" he shouted, tossing the doll to the floor and taking off after Washu.  "Get your ship ready!" he shouted, pointing at Mihoshi.

          "She's a real bitch, isn't she?" Ryoko called after him as he tore down the stairs.

          "So what are you going to do, Mihoshi?" Katsuhito asked as Shinjiro disappeared.

          "I. . . I don't. . ."

          Katsuhito nodded and patted her shoulder.

          "Damnit!  Damnit!" Shinjiro cursed as he hit the living room floor.  He caught site of Washu giggling as she ran from the house.  "Damnit!"  He snatched the communicator off of his belt.  "Get the engines going!" he shouted as he ran across the living room and slammed the door open.

          "What?" the communicator crackled back.

          "Get _Amos_ fired up!" Shinjiro said, grabbing his pistols off the little table by the door.  He looked up and saw Washu standing at the edge of the dock, facing the house and holding the little cat-thing in her arms.

          "What the hell's going on?" Adrian demanded, his voice small and staticy over the Comm unit.  Shinjiro leveled his blaster at Washu and started walking slowly toward her.

          "That was a cute trick you pulled back there."

          Washu grinned, scratching the cat-thing behind the ears.  "I hope you didn't do anything indecent with it.  I'm quite young and impressionable, you know."

          "Quit with the crap already."

          "Why are you here, really?"

          "To take you in under suspicion of aiding in the escape of an A-1 class criminal and assisting in the destruction of the Galaxy Police headquarters."

          "Wrong."

          "What?" he said, stopping a few feet from where Washu was standing.

          "It's in your eyes," she said.  "You don't have a clue what you're doing here."

          _. . . Bring her in . . ._

          _Amos's_ engines ignited, whipping the night air into a frenzy.  Shinjiro laughed.  "It's in my eyes huh?"  He lifted his blaster again.  "Nice try, Hakubi, but you're coming with me."

          "Fine, but you'll have to catch me first," she said, and threw the little cat-thing into the air.  The creature let loose with a howl that Shinjiro never would have thought possible from such a small creature, and a multitude of spikes erupted from its small body, elongating and stretching into the night.  Washu laughed and jumped from the dock, disappearing before she hit the water.  The creature quit growing, and now there was a spaceship with a shape like none other floating in the air above him.  He recognized it from the old files he'd reviewed while at the academy.

          "Ryo-oh-ki," he mumbled, lowering his pistol.  "Oh shit."

          "What is that!?" The communicator shouted.

          "Get us in the air," he replied, "she's getting away!"  He turned around, and there was a glowing red energy rod pointed at his head.  He almost fell backward in surprise.

          "You're not going anywhere," Ryoko said, holding the light-sword up to his neck, the exhaust from _Amos's_ engines blowing her hair about wildly.  Ryo-oh-ki started to rise into the air.  Shinjiro tossed his blaster aside and smiled.

          "Well, Ryoko, you're looking better."

          "It'll take more than a little headache to keep me down."

          "You don't say?"

          "Yeah."

          "Detective Mihoshi," he shouted, looking past Ryoko toward the house.  "A little help here?"

          Mihoshi was standing in the doorway, watching the scene unfold in front of her.  She pulled her pistol from her belt and fingered it cautiously.  "But. . ." she said, stepping onto the porch.  "But she's my friend. . ."

          "Damnit Mihoshi!  She's getting away!"

          ". . . And they haven't done anything wrong."

          "Damnit woman!  You're a Galaxy Police Officer, and these people are criminals!  What is wrong with you!"

          "You . . . you don't know what you're saying."

          Ryoko grinned.  "Sorry, pal.  Looks like you're on your own."

          Ryo-oh-ki lifted higher into the sky, disappearing into the night.  Shinjiro grinned.  "Looks that way."  Ryoko gasped and whirled around to face the _Amos_, just in time to see a volley of blaster shots flying toward her.  They struck her in the shoulder, and the force of the impact spun her around.  Shinjiro leaped forward and smashed his elbow down on Ryoko's back, slamming her to the deck.

          "Ryoko!" Mihoshi shouted, dropping her blaster and running across the deck to the fallen woman.  Shinjiro grabbed her arm as she ran past and shoved her toward the _Amos_.

          "Where's your ship?" he demanded.

          "It's in subspace," Mihoshi said, recovering from Shinjiro's shove.  He cursed and looked up at where Ryo-oh-ki was fast fading away.  "Come on," he said, scooping up his blaster and heading for _Amos's_ airlock, dragging Mihoshi with him.  Adrian was standing in the opening, holding Shinjiro's rifle from earlier.  Shinjiro nodded at him as they ran up.  Adrian nodded back, then his eyes went wide and he raised the weapon to his shoulder.  Shinjiro shoved Mihoshi down and ducked himself.

          Ryoko let loose a cry of anger as she flew toward the ship, dodging Adrian's shots and igniting her light-sword.

          "You'll pay for that!" she cried, swinging her sword at the large man.  Adrian dropped to his knee, and the sword passed inches over his head, digging into the hull of the _Amos_.  Sparks flew.

          Ryoko somersaulted in midair, pulling herself up to face the ship again.  Adrian glanced over his shoulder at the scar Ryoko had just put in his ship, then sighted his rifle back on the demon-woman.

          "Bitch!" he shouted, squeezing the trigger.  "You know how much it costs to repair these things?"

          The shots bounced off of Ryoko's shield, deflecting into the night.  She lifted her sword again and charged.  Adrian gripped his rifle tight in both hands and lowered his shoulder against the oncoming attack.  Ryoko crashed into him at full speed, the impact causing his weapon to shatter in an explosion of blue sparks.  The two of them flew from the dock, sending up a spray of water that got caught up in _Amos's_ jet blast as they hit the lake.

          Shinjiro stood and shoved Mihoshi forward.  "Let's go," he shouted, heading for the airlock.

          "Why are you doing this?" Mihoshi cried, bracing herself against the doorframe as Shinjiro gave her another push.

          "Get inside," he growled, shouldering past her and punching the keypad.  Mihoshi jumped back as the outer doors slid shut, cutting off the howl of the engines.

          "Is that you, Shinjiro?" a voice asked over the P.A.

          "Get us in the air, Rodge," Shinjiro replied, ducking into the passageway outside the airlock, "and follow that ship."

          "I'll try, man.  But damn, it's quick."

          "Why are you doing this?" Mihoshi asked again, following the cop into the passageway.  The ship rumbled under her feet as it lifted into the air.  Shinjiro paused, but didn't turn around.

          "It's what I do," he said, and then started back down the hall.

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          A gentle breeze blew across Sasami's face, her hair tickling her nose.  She awoke without opening her eyes, and brushed the hair out of her face.  The warmth of the sun beating down on her and the gentle lapping sound of water nearby threatened to lull her back to sleep.  Her head felt cloudy, as if she was really tired and not getting enough sleep, and her eyes felt itchy behind her eyelids.  The breeze lifted her hair into her face again, and she brushed it away.  The lapping of the water became louder, and she opened her eyes.

          She was laying on her back, looking up at the most perfectly blue sky she had ever seen.  The air was clear, and a cool breeze blew softly.  She took in a breath, relishing the fresh air, and then turned her head to the side.

          She could see nothing but water.  She sat up and quickly looked around.  Nothing but calm, clear blue water.  She stood, completely bewildered, the wind lifting her hair and blowing it out behind her.

          "But. . ." she stammered, looking about for something that made sense and finding nothing but water.  "What is this?"

          "A dream, of course."

          Sasami turned, watching as the faint outline of a woman appeared, taking shape as she walked across the water toward her.  She was tall, with the same striking blue hair as Sasami.

          "Tsunami!" cried Sasami, running up to the woman.  "What is this place?  Where am I?"

          "You are on Jurai, Sasami, and this is a dream."

          "A dream?" 

          "Yes," Tsunami said, kneeling in front of the young princess and smiling gently.  "So you see, there is nothing to fear at the moment."

          Sasami was still confused.  "But I was just eating dinner a moment ago. . ."  She gasped and covered her mouth.  "Oh no!  Did I fall asleep at the table?  Oh, Ayeka's going to be mad at me."

          Tsunami chuckled softly and took Sasami's hands in hers.  "Sasami, you're going to wake up in a moment, and when you do, there's going to be a lot of people who are going to be very worried about you."

          "What do you mean?"

          Tsunami shook her head.  "I just need you to know that everything will be alright, okay Sasami?  A lot of things are going to start to happen very shortly, but I wanted to tell you that I will always be here for you, even if it doesn't feel like it."

          Sasami nodded.  "I know, Tsunami.  You're always there."

          Tsunami smiled and stood.  "Be strong for me, Sasami.  When you wake, everything will be different."  She started to fade.  "I have to go now, and it's time for you to wake."

          Sasami nodded again and smiled.  "Okay, Tsunami."

          Tsunami looked at Sasami with loving eyes as she faded away.  "Remember, I will be there."  Then she was gone, and the sky grew dark.

          "Tsunami. . ." Sasami whispered, holding her hand out to where the woman had stood.  The breeze picked up, and the water started to ripple.  Sasami suddenly felt very alone, standing in the middle of a great ocean of water.  The sky grew darker, and the breeze stronger.  A chill swept over the girl, and she hugged herself tight.  Tsunami had said she was supposed to wake now, but she was still here.  The loneliness grew stronger.

          A low rumble started, somewhere off in the distance.  The wind continued to grow stronger, and the ripples in the water had now turned into little waves that were lapping at her ankles.  The sky was now completely dark.  No stars could be seen.

          The rumble grew louder, and Sasami squinted into the darkness, but could still see nothing but water, all the way to the horizon.  The wind blew her hair about, sending it flying into her face.  She batted it away, noticing for the first time that it wasn't tied back in pigtails, but was instead hanging loose.  The blackness of the sky above blended with the darkness of the water, and she grew dizzy.

          The rumble grew so loud that it overpowered the howl of the wind, and Sasami was really wishing that she could wake up.  The waves grew larger, starting to knock her about slightly, throwing off her already dizzy sense of balance.  She looked toward the horizon again, very worried about the rumble.  Her stomach flopped as she watched the water dancing about in the wind, becoming one with the dark sky, falling off the edge of the horizon.  The horizon that was growing closer.

          Sasami gasped and took a step back.  She watched as the edge of the water drew in closer, practically racing towards her.  She looked about, and saw that it was the same all around.  It was almost as if she were standing in the middle of a great saucer of water, and that saucer was growing smaller, the water spilling off the edges in torrents.  Her eyes grew wide in terror as the circle grew smaller, closing in on her.  The rumble was now all she could hear, growing louder and closer, the world shrinking around her. . .

          She fell into consciousness, jolted awake by the mad barrage of jumbled and confused feelings that were pressing down on her, a thousand different emotions all vying for her attention, forcing her deeper into her shell.  She was on the inside looking out at herself, and it was getting hard to breath.  She clenched her eyes shut, trying to block the rush of raw emotion that left her feeling nothing, not even confusion.  She forced herself to slow her breathing, drawing in each breath slowly and deliberately.  The air was thick and warm.

          ". . . Let go. . ."

          Her shell started to weaken, and she clenched her fists against the powerful feelings that started to break through and throw themselves at her.  It became even more difficult for her to breath, as though she were getting smothered by her own emotions.  Panic found its way through her defenses, and she tried to fight it off, but that only fed the fire, and now Despair was on her as well.

          ". . . Sasami . . . let go. . ."

          Loneliness struck her hard, and she doubled up, her eyes opening wide onto a world of brilliant white.  She gasped, drawing in a mouthful of thick air, choking on the back of her throat as the last off her defenses dropped and the storm was let loose.  The world spun in her mind as the emotions surged.  She felt everything at once, and it was terrible.

          It passed as quickly as it had started, and she was alone, with only fear and exhaustion remaining to keep her company.

          "Sasami, let go!  You're going to suffocate yourself!"

          She felt something tugging at her hands.  Her fists were still clenched, her eyes wide open, staring into the great field of white that lay in front of her.  Her heart was racing, threatening to burst from her chest.

          "She's panicking."

          She was holding on to something, clenching it tight in her fists.  A shadow passed through her vision.

          "Sasami!"

          _Tenchi?_

          "Let go!"

          _I can't._  The fear would not go away, and she started to cry.  Her strength waned as the tears came, clouding her vision.  Clouding her world of white.

          Her fists weakened, and it was suddenly easier for her to breath, but her fear did not lessen.  She felt someone's hands on her shoulders, and heard a voice in her ear, but could not tell who it was or what they had said.  She curled herself into a ball, exhausted and frightened, and could not stop from crying.

          "Sasami," Ayeka whispered, pulling her sister close as she sat next to her on the bed.  They were all there, standing over Sasami as she shook softly, sobs pulsing through her body.

          The door opened and a doctor entered, carrying a tray of medicine and a pitcher of water.

          "What is going on here?" Azusa asked as the doctor set the tray on an end table and brushed Sasami's hair out of her face.

          "Your daughter is completely and utterly exhausted," the doctor said, gently taking hold of Sasami's wrist to check her pulse.  After a moment she nodded and scribbled some notes on a clipboard.

          Azusa stepped forward and placed his hand on the doctor's clipboard, weighing it down.  She looked up at the king, obviously irritated.

          "I've never seen an exhausted person do _that_ before," he said.

          "I'm sorry, Highness, but every indication points towards. . ."

          "Especially not one of royal blood."

          The doctor hesitated.  Azusa stared at her for a moment, then removed his hand from the clipboard and turned away.

          "Ah, yes," the doctor said, clearing her throat and rising from the edge of the bed, "well, there may be a few more possibilities we could examine."

          "Good," the King said, taking Misaki's hands in his.  The doctor gathered up her things and stepped toward the door.  She paused and gave a short bow before opening the door.

          "And doctor," Azusa said as she stepped into the hall.  She paused and turned.  "No one outside your staff knows of this."

          "As always, Highness," she said, bowing again and starting down the hall.

          "The entire court saw what happened, father," Ayeka said, smoothing down Sasami's blankets.  The young princess had settled down by now, and was breathing softly again, her body much more relaxed than it had been.

          "They are nobles," he said.  "They will respect this matter."  He turned and looked at where Sasami was laying in her bed, still curled under the covers, and sighed.  "Your mother's and I will be down the hall.  The nurses will keep us informed.  You should rest as well.  It is late."

          "I'm going to stay here tonight," Ayeka said.  Azusa nodded and turned toward the door.  "Are you coming, Funaho?"

          "I'll be down shortly."

          "Hmm," Azusa said, placing his arm around Misaki's shoulder and stepping into the hall.  Funaho watched them go for a moment, then closed the door and pulled up a seat beside the bed.

          "This is a bad thing that has happened," she said, rubbing Sasami's back.  The girl didn't even stir in her sleep.  "She really is exhausted, isn't she?"

          Ayeka nodded.

          Funaho sighed and looked over at Tenchi, who had been standing quietly in the corner.  "Not again?"

          Tenchi blinked.  "'Not again' what?"

          "At the dinner, when Sasami first started to shake, you said 'not again.'  What did you mean by that?"

          "Oh, did I say that?" Tenchi said, scratching the back of his head and sitting on the foot of the bed.

          "Yes, you did."

          "I did not wish to worry you," Ayeka said, her voice soft.

          "About what?"

          Ayeka took up a corner of the blanket and fidgeted it about in her hands.  "The same day you called to bring us here," she began, slow and hesitating, like a child who just broke a table lamp, "Sasami collapsed in the kitchen."

          "Miss Washu examined her and said it was nothing to worry about," Tenchi added quickly.  "We were all worried at first, but she seemed fine afterwards, and I guess we forgot about it in all the excitement that followed."

          Funaho sighed.  "If the King had known about this. . ."

          Ayeka lowered her head.

          The clock on the wall slowly ticked away the seconds.  "Lady Washu checked her out, then, after the first incident?"

          "Yes," Tenchi said.  "She thought that Sasami was just overworked and tired."

          "Overworked?"

          Tenchi smiled.  "She does like to do all the cooking, you know."

          Funaho looked over at Ayeka and frowned.  "But she didn't really believe it, did she?"

          Ayeka looked up.  "No, she didn't.  How did you know?"

          There was a knock on the door, and it swung open before Tenchi could rise to answer it.  A tall lady, dressed in the robes of the royal family, stepped into the room.  Tenchi had seen her around, but had never learned who she was.  Besides, the way her green hair curled under her sharp, red eyes had always made her seem, well, intimidating.

          "Lady Seto," Ayeka said, greeting the newcomer.

          The lady stood in the doorway and looked over at Sasami, who was resting peacefully.  "How is she?"

          "Better," said Funaho, rising and crossing over to the doorway.  "Come," she said, placing a hand on Seto's shoulder, "I want to talk to you about some things."  She glanced back at Ayeka.  "And you two should at least try and get some rest."

          "Okay."

          "Sure."

          The door closed behind the two women, and Tenchi looked over at Ayeka.  "Who was she?" he asked.

          "That was Seto Kamiki, my grandmother."

          "You're grandmother?" Tenchi asked, glancing back at the door.  They were silent for a few moments.  "She's kinda'. . ."

          "Intimidating?"

          "Young, actually, is what I was thinking."

          Sasami stirred.  Ayeka reached over and rubbed her back.

          "Are you planning on staying here all night, Ayeka?" Tenchi asked, standing and stretching.

          Ayeka nodded.

          "I'll ask the nurse to bring you a futon."

          "Thank you, Tenchi."

          "She'll be fine."

          Ayeka didn't say anything, but bowed her head and fingered Sasami's blankets again.

          Tenchi smiled.  "I'm sure of it.  Tsunami won't let her get hurt."

          "Goodnight, Tenchi," Ayeka said softly.

          He nodded and opened the door.  "Goodnight, Miss Ayeka."

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          "DAMNIT!" shouted Rodger, throwing his gun belt into a chair and whirling on Shinjiro.  "What the hell were you thinking?  I mean. . . Damn!"

          "You're turning red, Rodge," Shinjiro said, walking past the fuming surveyor and plopping down in front of _Amos's_ flight controls.

          "Hell yeah I'm turning red!  We just left Adrian behind!  I can't believe you left him down there!"

          Shinjiro punched in some commands, and the view screen displayed a tactical layout tracking Ryo-oh-ki's escape from Earth.  "Damn, she's really movin'."  He shoved the throttle all the way forward.  _Amos's_ engines screamed to life . . . and immediately bogged down again, whimpering in protest.  "Shit!" he cried, slamming his fists down on the console.  "Get it in gear Amos!"

          "I'm sorry, sir," Amos said, sliding in front of Shinjiro.  "But we're still within the planets gravitational influence."

          "She's getting away!" Shinjiro shouted, pointing at the screen.

          "Screw her!" Rodger said, sliding into the seat next to Shinjiro.  "Amos, turn around and prepare to pick up Adrian."

          Shinjiro shook his head.  "Oh  no, we don't have the time to waste.  It's going to be hard enough catching up with her as it is."

          "Um, excuse me. . ." Mihoshi said, timidly stepping onto the bridge.

          "This is our ship, and he's my friend," Rodger shouted, punching the controls on his panel.  "I'm _not_ leaving him down there."

          "We can go back for him later.  Amos, continue pursuit."

          "Excuse me. . ." Mihoshi said again.

          "Belay that!" Rodger shouted at Amos.

          "Belay this!" Shinjiro growled, pulling his blaster and pointing it at Rodger.

          "Hey man, watch it!" Rodger said, almost falling out of his seat as he jerked away from the G.P.

          "Listen," Shinjiro said calmly.  "This . . ." he pointed at the view screen, ". . . is what we came for.  I'm not backing down now, not while there's still a chance of catching up with her."

          "There's no chance, man," Rodger said, leaning forward and shaking his head.  "That's Ryo-oh-ki she's in.  Everyone knows about that ship."  He let loose a short laugh.  "There's no chance. . ."

          Shinjiro half-turned back to the view screen, dropping the gun to his lap.  "Ryo-oh-ki's not Hakubi's ship.  She won't be able to control it properly."

          "Washu created Ryo-oh-ki." Mihoshi said.  The two men turned in their seats and looked at her.  Amos poked his dome around Shinjiro to get a better look.

          "What the hell are you doing here?" Rodger asked, noticing Mihoshi for the first time.

          Shinjiro dropped his gaze and frowned.  "Doesn't surprise me," he muttered.  He shook his head and looked back up.  "Well, whatever.  Continue pursuit, Amos.  Best speed."

          "Yes, sir," Amos sighed.

          "Excuse me," Mihoshi said, stepping forward, "but I'd really like to know what I'm doing here."

          "You're helping me apprehend Hakubi," he said, studying Amos's tactical display, which was showing the distance between the _Amos_ and Ryo-oh-ki growing wider.

          "But she hasn't done anything wrong."

          "As you've said so many times before," Shinjiro growled, punching at Amos's controls, as if trying to will the ship to go faster.  "And, since we don't have your patrol ship at the moment, you're going to help by telling me what you know of this system.  Hazards, short cuts.  You know, the stuff they don't show on the charts."  He turned and looked her over.

          Mihoshi dropped into the seat next to the chart table.  "No, I don't think I will."

          "That wasn't a suggestion, detective."

          Mihoshi folded her arms and shook her head.

          A low growl worked its way up Shinjiro's throat.  "You know, I would have expected more from a first class detective.  Especially from a Kuramitsu."

          "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you.  But I'm not helping."

          Rodger stood and pushed his seat back.  "Damn, man.  You leave Adrian behind, and instead bring _her_ along."  He shook his head.  "What's going on, huh?  I mean, what are you thinking?"

          Shinjiro spun his seat around and went back to studying Amos's readouts.

          Rodger continued to stare at Shinjiro.  "Well?"

          Shinjiro sniffed and stabbed at the console, shifting the readouts on the view screen.

          Rodger sighed and shook his head.  "Adrian was right, you know."

          "About what?" Shinjiro asked.

          Rodger turned and walked from the bridge.  "About you."

          And the doors slid shut behind him.

----------------------------------------------------------------

          Ayeka woke slowly.  She had been sleeping the deep, dreamless sleep of the completely exhausted, and had just started to become aware of the severe crick that was forming in her neck.  She sat up in the chair and rubbed at her neck, blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

          "You were snoring," Sasami said quietly.

          Ayeka rolled her head back and forth, trying to work out the crick before it got any worse.  "I'm sorry, I. . . Oh, you're awake."

          Sasami was sitting up in her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and still under the covers.  She nodded.

          Ayeka turned the lights up a little.  "Do you want anything?  Some water?"

          "No, thank you," she said, nodding at the pitcher on the nightstand and the half-empty glass next to it.

          Ayeka moved from the chair to the edge of the bed.  "How are you feeling?"

          Sasami shrugged.

          "I was very worried.  We all were."

          Sasami nodded.  "She said you would be."

          Ayeka frowned.  "Who?"

          "Tsunami."

          "Oh."

          They sat in silence for a while, the clock on the wall steadily ticking away.

          "Did she say anything else?" Ayeka asked finally.

          Sasami hugged her knees tighter and shook her head.  "No."

          The silence continued.

          "Ayeka?"

          "Yes, Sasami?"

          "Do you dream?"

          Ayeka chuckled.  "Of course I dream.  Everyone does."

          Sasami sat up straight and looked her sister in the eyes.  "No, Ayeka.  I mean, do you have _funny_ dreams."

          "Funny dreams?  Like what?"

          "I don't know.  Like they're trying to tell you things.  Important things."

          Ayeka smiled.  "No, Sasami.  I'm afraid I don't."

          Sasami hugged her knees again.  "I do."

          Ayeka looked down at her lap and smoothed down her gown.  "Well, it must be Tsunami, showing you things she wants you to know about."

          "Not always."

          Ayeka frowned.

          "Sometimes they scare me."

          Ayeka sighed and slid across the bed to sit next to her little sister.  She wrapped an arm around her and hugged her close.  Tears started to form in Sasami's eyes, and she returned Ayeka's hug.

          "What's happening to me, Ayeka?"

          Ayeka choked down the lump that was forming in her throat and made to wipe Sasami's eyes.  "I don't. . ." she choked on the words and paused.  "I wish I knew."

          Sasami snuggled up closer to Ayeka and rested her head against her chest.  Ayeka brushed Sasami's bangs out of her eyes, and choked back a tiny gasp.  The marks on Sasami's forehead were different.  Where once there had been two little triangles, a couple of circles had taken their place.

          Ayeka stared for a moment, then let Sasami's hair fall back in place and leaned back against the headrest.

          "I really wish I knew," she whispered, hugging Sasami tighter. 

----------------------------------------------------------------

          Adrian pulled himself up on the dock and rolled over onto his back, panting.  "That bitch," he muttered, slamming his fist to the deck.

          "You called?" Ryoko cooed, materializing in the air above him.

          "Damnit!" he cursed, rolling to the side and scrambling for his feet.  In an instant, Ryoko's sword was at his neck.  He paused, and then slowly rose to his feet.

          "That's right," Ryoko said, settling down on the deck and moving in closer to Adrian.  "Now, tell me again why you're here."

          "That's enough, Ryoko," Katsuhito said, stepping from the shadows of the house.

          Adrian and Ryoko looked over at the old man as he walked out onto the deck.  Ryoko scowled.

          "Not until I find out what's going on here."

          "His friends are gone," Katsuhito said, nodding up at the dark sky.  "This accomplishes nothing."

          "What?  Gone?" Adrian said, noticing for the first time the large empty spot in the lake where not too long ago the _Amos_ had been floating.  "Damnit!  Those bastards!"  He looked up, and could just barely make out the soft yellow glow of _Amos's_ engines.

          Ryoko started laughing.  "Some friends, eh?"  Her sword flickered, and then went out.  "But I still want to know why they're here.  What do you want with Washu?"

          "Look lady, I'm just in it for the money."

          "A mercenary, huh?"

          "Miner, actually.  And it's a long story."

          "So Ryoko," Katsuhito said, stepping up to the two of them, "are you going?"

          "Was there any question?" she asked, and held out her hand.  Katsuhito handed her a small, pink cube.  "You know, it's a good thing Mihoshi dropped this," Ryoko said, "otherwise Washu would have to fight these guys off by herself."  She started twisting sections of the cube; rotating the sides first this way and then that as the cube squawked and flashed with each turn.

          "I'm worried about her, Ryoko," said Katsuhito, folding his arms behind his back.  "She has not been herself tonight."

          "Hey, don't worry about it.  I'll take care of this guy and be back before morning."  The cube squawked and flashed repeatedly, but nothing happened.  "Damn, it always looks so easy."

          "Do you know how to use that thing?" Adrian asked, taking a couple of steps back.  "'Cause I've seen those things go haywire . . ."

          She gave the cube a sharp smack, and the flashing stopped.

          "Things might get difficult up there," Katsuhito said.  "Strange things have been happening recently . . ."

          "Look, I said I'd take care of it, alright?"  She gave the cube a few more twists, and the sky lit up as a subspace portal opened over the lake and Yukinojo's shuttle emerged.  She pocketed Mihoshi's control cube.  "If you're so worried, then why don't you come with me?"

          Katsuhito looked at Adrian.  The miner sniffed and locked eyes with him.

          "What?" Adrian said.

          Katsuhito shook his head.  "No, someone must be here in case Tenchi calls.  Besides, I'm too old for this now.  Take him instead."

          "What?" Ryoko and Adrian said in unison.

          "I'm sure he would like to get back to his friends if he could, and you're going that way anyways."

          "They're not my friends," Adrian said at the same time as Ryoko said: "I'm not playing chauffeur to some old abandoned spacer." 

          "Who you callin' old, bitch?" Adrian scowled, turning to face Ryoko.

          Ryoko whirled on Adrian.  "you wanna' finish this?" she asked, her hand charging with energy.

          "Let's roll."

          "Well, now that that's settled," Katsuhito said, turning around, "I'll see you in a few hours then, Ryoko."

          Adrian and Ryoko glared at the old man as he walked toward the house, and then faced each other again.  Ryoko's eyes crackled.  Adrian fumed.

          "They're getting further away, you know," Adrian grumbled after a bit.

          Ryoko growled.  "Damnit!"

          The two turned and stomped off toward Yukinojo.

----------------------------------------------------------------

          It rested between Mars and Jupiter, carving a neat dividing line between the two, separating the inner planets from the gas giants that lay beyond.  It also marked the border to the frontier, begging for the day that the Earthlings would break free from their home planet and journey to the stars, tapping once again into their spirit of exploration that has made them one of the more promising races.

          "Well I don't like it much either, but I need some time to think," Washu said as Ryo-oh-ki approached the asteroid belt.  One of Ryo-oh-ki's crystals drifted over to where Washu was sitting cross-legged in her chair and meowed.  Washu shrugged and folded her hands behind her head.  "Oh, just go in a little ways and find a big one, then hide behind it."  She closed her eyes and leaned back, the chair rocking gently as it floated in the middle of the bridge.  Ryo-oh-ki meowed again.

          Washu opened one of her eyes half-way and looked at the crystal.  "I can't keep running forever, you know."  She closed her eye again.  "Shouldn't have run in the first place, actually," she added softly.

          Ryo-oh-ki drifted silently through the field of rock, passing in and out of shadow.

          "Oh well!" Washu said, jumping out of the chair and pointing at a particularly large asteroid.  "That one should do for now."

          A sharp pain shot through her head, and she had to grab onto the chair to keep from falling.  A slight shudder rolled through Ryo-oh-ki, and she meowed softly.  Washu shook her head clear and smiled.

          "Starting to feel it too, eh?"

          "Meow."

          Washu nodded.  "That's why I need to stop and think."

          Ryo-oh-ki passed into shadow once more, and disappeared behind the asteroid.

---------------------------------------------------------------

          "I don't like your friend very much," Mihoshi said to Rodger as she entered the messdeck.  Rodger was kicked back at the table, sucking on a cup of Sake`.

          "Yeah, well he's starting to rub me the wrong way too," he said, pushing a chair out from under the table with his foot.  "Have a seat."

          Mihoshi slowly sat down.  "What are you guys doing here, anyway?"

          Rodger arched an eyebrow at her.  "Me?"  He chuckled and looked at his cup of Sake`.  "I'm enjoying a drink, and Lieutenant Yakagamo is slowly going insane."

          "No, I meant . . ."

          "Yeah, I know," he said, sitting up and draining his cup.  "I was just . . . well anyway.  I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing here.  Shinjiro, he's here for that red-headed chick, but other than that. . ." he shrugged.

          Mihoshi sighed.  "But why does he want her so bad?  Why does he think she did everything he's saying she did?"

          "What was your name again?" Rodger asked, refilling his cup, and pouring one for Mihoshi as well.

          "Uh, Detective first-class Mihoshi."

          "Well, Detective first-class Mihoshi, is there anything you can do about it at the moment?"

          "Um, not really.  I mean, he does out-rank me and all. . ."

          Rodger handed her a cup of wine.  "Then have a drink, and don't worry about it."

          "She's gone into an asteroid field, sir."

          Shinjiro nodded.  "So, follow her in."

          "Yes sir, but I must insist that you cut our speed by at least a third."

          "Did Ryo-oh-ki slow down?"

          Amos thought for a moment.  "Yes, but not by much.  Also, I've just lost contact with Ryo-oh-ki.  There's too much interference from the asteroids."

          "Try that new sensor I installed.  And I'm not slowing down until I have to."

          "What new sensor?"

          Shinjiro punched a few buttons.  "This one.  I picked it up back at the thieves market.  I think you'll like it."

          "Company regulations strictly prohibit tampering. . ."

          "Amos."

          "Sir?"

          "Shut up."

          "Yes, sir."

----------------------------------------------------------------

          It began with light.  A brilliant, intense flash of light that was so white it was painful to look at, but she could see nothing else, and then she was floating.  The rain was falling around her, and she was floating gently down through the clouds.

          The rain was gentle, and somehow soothing, but it was not to last, for the clouds were already breaking up.  She passed in and out of the sunshine as she floated toward the earth, the alternating cool of the raindrops and warmth of the sun on her face lulling her into peace.

          When she woke again, she was still floating in the air, resting a few feet above the ground, and she was not alone.  The women came from the stone building in front of her, whispering to each other and pointing at the small child in front of them, and she found this interesting.

          And the gems were there.

          Years passed in a flash, blurring as one in her mind as they seemed to have done in reality.

          "Don't forget.  We're on your side," Naja told her in passing.

          The wandering years slowed, and she saw herself standing before a small cliff, a sunlit field stretching away behind her.  She knelt down and held out her hand for him.  He grabbed hold, and she pulled him up, chastising him for running away like that.

          "You're so clumsy, Mikamo Niwase," she had said, helping him to his feet.

          "How . . . how do you know my name?" he asked, staring at her with amazement.  Their eyes met, and she never forgot that moment.

          "The sun's too bright here. . ." she said, turning away.

          Time blurred again.

          _"What are you doing?"_

          _"Making things better . . ."_

There were certain spots on the campus of the Imperial Academy that were special to her.  The field had been one, and the abandoned library of the old campus was another.

          "Who is it?" she asked as a board creaked from somewhere within the library's walls.

          "Hello?" a familiar voice replied.

          "Mikamo!  Why are you here?" she asked, surprised to see the young man.

          "To read the books.  Why are you here?"

          "To read the books as well.  Ha-ha, of course we're here to read books.  It is a library, after all."

          They looked at each other for a moment, and then started to laugh.

          And the library was swept away, replaced by her old office from home.

          "There's nothing between him and I," she was objecting.  "He just came into my library, and . . . and . . ."

          "Oh, I see," teased Naja.  "You called him to your library."

          "Hey!  You're perverting the facts!  And you call yourself a philosopher!"

          "I'm just surmising your story, that's all."

          Her office spun away in a cloud of memory, existing now only in the depths of her mind.

          "We'll call him Mikumo," he said, rocking their child in his arms.  She looked up at him and smiled.  Never before had everything felt so perfect.  Never before had she felt such joy.

          And the gems were there.

          It was a nice sunny day.

          "He has taken Mikumo for a walk, and plans to be back this evening," the butler had said.  She smiled and laughed to herself.

          "He does enjoy their little walks. . ."

          The sun settled slowly into the fields, bathing the world in its orange glow, broken only by the deepening shadows.  She watched the gentle transition to evening from her office window as a deepening sense of apprehension grew in her heart.

          "They're not back yet, Naja," she said, stepping out of the front door.  "Would you help me look for them?"  Naja took hold of her arm to keep her from running off into the evening.

          She looked at her friend, who had a stern but sad expression on her face.

          "What is it?"

          Naja looked away.

          "Say something!  Where are they?"  She started to shake Naja.

          "They won't come back," Naja said clearly, avoiding her gaze.

          She tried to run, but Naja grabbed her tight.

          "Let me go!"

          "It's too late.  They've already gone."

          "No!" she cried, pushing Naja away.

          "Wait!"

          _If I fly,_ she thought, _I can . . ._  "I must use them," she said.

          But the voice came, blocking all else from her mind.  _If you do, it will happen again._

          She gasped, stumbling back against Naja.  Her friend rested a hand on her shoulder.  "They're gone."

          "No!" she cried, pushing Naja back again and running forward, summoning all her will and strength.

          _It will happen again._

          She stumbled and fell to her knees.  "I must find them . . ." she whispered.

          _It will happen again._

          She lost all her strength and fell to the ground, exhausted.  "Why?" she whispered to no one.  "Why is it?"

          "They took them back," Naja said, kneeling next to her.

          "Who?" she asked, her voice small through her grief.

          "His true name was Mikamo Kuramitsu."

          She looked up in shock.

          Naja continued.  "His grandfather was chairman Kuramitsu of planet Seniwa.  The chairman has died, and now Mikamo's father has brought him back to Seniwa, and has closed the planet to outsiders."

          "It can't be . . ."

          "It has been decided by the cowards with power.  Washu is for Jurai . . ."

          "No . . ."

          ". . . And Mikamo and Mikumo are for Seniwa . . ."

          And the gems were there.

          Time meant nothing anymore, and she passed through it as a ghost.

          The snow swirled around her, blown by the wind.

          "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the little girl cried, again and again, barely able to get the words out through her tears.  She watched as the boy took the little girl into a hug, pride and despair tearing at her heart.  She couldn't do it.  Not now that she had seen him, so strong and happy.  She couldn't take him back. . .

          The wind blew, tossing the snow about in a whirlwind.

          "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. . ." cried the child.

          _So am I,_ she thought.

          The snow rose up and covered them in a blanket of white.  "Goodbye, my boy," she said, melting into the swirling snow.

          And it ended as it had begun, engulfed in white.

          And the gems were there.

          She awoke to find a solitary tear running down her cheek.  She smiled slightly, and brushed the tear away with a finger.  Ryo-oh-ki meowed at her.  She looked at her damp finger for a moment, than rubbed it dry with her thumb.

          "It's been so long, Ryo-oh-ki, since I cried for them last," she said, leaning back in the chair.

          _Washu is for Jurai . . ._

"So why now?"

          Ryo-oh-ki meowed softly, drifting silently among the asteroids.

----------------------------------------------------------------

          The early morning sunlight shone through the large windows that lined the Tenjyu's halls, bathing the elegant corridors with a soft orange light, broken here and there by the deep shadows of the supporting columns.  Ayeka yawned as she walked the familiar passageway, heading for Ryu-oh's berth.

          The hallway was empty this early in the morning.  The servants were all busy in the lower levels of the palace, and she doubted any of the nobles would be roaming about yet, having kept themselves up into the early morning hours gossiping among themselves about the party.  This suited Ayeka fine.  She was too tired to be answering awkward questions anyway.

          She yawned again and turned the corner leading to the royal hangars, and found herself wishing that she'd slept better.  Talking with Washu was something best done with a level head and not with one clouded from exhaustion.

          She reached the end of the hall and stepped onto a transporter pad.  She hated going around her parents like this, but she was fairly certain that her father would not approve of her telling outsiders about what happened last night.  But, if anyone could help Sasami, it was Washu.

          The transporter hummed, and next thing Ayeka knew, she was standing on Ryu-oh's bridge.  She turned and headed for the center of the pod, where the royal tree Ryu-oh had once stood, elegant and proud.  Now, a small seedling no more than two feet high grew from the large patch of soil that formed the heart of the great tree-ship.

          Ayeka knelt in front of the young tree and ran a hand over one of its tiny leaves.  A gentle tingling sensation played at the back of her mind, and she smiled as Ryu-oh welcomed her back to the ship.  Then, Ryu-oh's joy turned to concern as the tree felt Ayeka's unease.

          Ayeka nodded.  "Yes, Ryu-oh.  I'm very worried about her.  I need you to call Earth."

          A warm feeling gently touched Ayeka's mind, and tiny beams of light started streaming from the underside of Ryu-oh's leaves.  Ayeka was immediately filled with a sense of the vastness of the universe as Ryu-oh stretched his consciousness out into space.  It always took her breath away.

          A moment later, she felt another presence in her mind, and recognized it as Funaho, Yosho's tree.

          "Oh, I'm sorry, Ryu-oh," Ayeka said, opening her eyes.  "I meant for you to call Miss Washu, not Funaho."

          "Washu's not here, I'm afraid," said Yosho, kneeling beside Ayeka.

          Ayeka started and turned to see the image of her brother next to her, young and handsome, as she'd once remembered him.  She blushed and turned away as quickly as she'd faced him.

          "Don't startle me so," she said.

          Yosho rested his hand on Ayeka's shoulder.  "Ryu-oh is worried about you, Ayeka.  Funaho feels his concern."

          Ayeka looked up at the image of her brother.  She knew he was just a projection, a physical representation of Yosho's mind reproduced by Ryu-oh, and yet, here he was, looking and sounding just as she remembered.

          "I need to speak with Miss Washu," she said quietly.

          Yosho chuckled.  "It's been quite the evening.  Washu's not here at the moment.  What is it?"

          "It's Sasami.  She's not well and needs Washu's help."

          Yosho sighed.  "Yes, there've been some strange happenings here as well."

          "Where is Washu?"

          "At this moment, I'm not quite certain.  But I don't think she's been captured yet."

          "Captured?" Ayeka sputtered.  "What do you mean 'captured?'  What's going on?"

          "Well," Yosho said, his image sitting down next to Ayeka.  "It's something of a long story."


	2. Welcoming the Deep

The Advent of Washu

-Cascade-

**********************005*********************

Welcoming the Deep

          _. . . And Mikamo and Mikumo are for Seniwa . . ._

"Why now?" Washu sighed, leaning back in her chair and staring at the ceiling.  _It all happened such a long time ago.  Why return to me now?_

          One of Ryo-oh-ki's crystals drifted up to her and meowed.  The scientist sighed.  "Yes, I know they're out there."  She bowed her head and rubbed her temple.  The memories had been so vivid, so emotional.

          "We'd better move soon, I suppose.  How are you feeling?"

          Ryo-oh-ki meowed half-heartedly.

          "Yeah," Washu said, smiling softly at the crystal.  "Me too."

----------------------------------------------------------------

          "So you don't know where they are?" Ryoko asked, looking up at Yukinojo's AI unit.

          "I already told you.  They went into the asteroids, and I lost contact with them."

          "So how long 'till we get there?"

          "At least forty-five minutes."

          "You're too slow," she muttered, pushing her seat away from the control panel.

          "And Yukinjo's main unit will not fit within the asteroid belt," the computer continued, slightly put-off from being called slow, "so we will have to deploy the shuttle.  That will take another five minutes."

          "Damnit, what'd she have to go into space for, anyway?"  She kicked her feet up on one of the consoles and leaned back in the chair, folding her hands behind her head.

          "By the way, Ryoko."

          "Yes?"

          "What are we going to do about that man you brought with you?"

          "Oh, him?"  She thought for a moment, and then shrugged.  "Ignore him.  I don't feel like dealing with him right now."

          "Okay, but he's been shouting obscenities at me for the last half hour.  I don't know how much more his voice can take."

          "Don't worry about it.  Can't you go any faster?"

          "Not while we are still in the solar system."

          Ryoko sighed and closed her eyes.  "Fine.  Just wake me up when we get there, alright?"

          "Do you really think detective Mihoshi is in danger?"

          "No.  She can take care of herself.  It's Washu I'm worried about."

          Yukinojo cocked his dome.  "Miss Washu?  But she's . . ."

          "She's not herself," Ryoko interrupted without opening her eyes.  "Something's happening to her.  To the both of us.  And I'm not sure what it is, so just keep an eye out for Ryo-oh-ki, alright?"

          "Yes, miss Ryoko."

          Adrian gave the door his strongest kick yet, causing him to loose his balance and go stumbling back against the wall of the tiny holding cell.

          "That bitch," he muttered, collapsing into the cot that was the sole furnishing of the cell.  He sighed and draped his arms and legs over the sides of the cot, resigning himself to defeat.  "Damn her, locking me up like this.  When I get out of here . . ."

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Wait," Shinjiro said, suddenly leaning forward in his chair and pointing at the view screen.  "Back it up a little, will you, Amos?"

          "Yes, sir," Amos said, halting the sensor sweep and reversing the image playback, "but I didn't . . ."

          "I know, I know.  I didn't get any readings, either, but I thought I saw something.  Alright, hold it there, and bring the sensors back around again."

          "Yes, sir.  But I still don't see anything."

          "Yeah," Shinjiro said, studying the view screen.  What he saw wasn't that promising; just more of the same asteroids they'd been looking at for the last hour, and they were all just as brown and as dull as the next.  "Yeah, me neither."  He sat back in the chair, stroking his chin.  "You know what?  Zoom in by about twenty percent, and leave it here for a bit."

          "Yes, sir."

          "But keep looking around while we're at it, too.  No need to get lazy."

----------------------------------------------------------------

          Tenchi sat down and shook his head in disbelief.  "That's just crazy."

          "I know," Ayeka said.  "I didn't believe it, either.

          "And she just took off afterwards?"

          Ayeka nodded.

          Tenchi shook his head again.  "But that doesn't sound like Washu at all."

          "No, it doesn't."  They were sitting in Tenchi's bedchamber, just down the hall from where Sasami was still sleeping soundly.  The sun had risen higher in the sky by now and was streaming through the branches of the palace, casting shadows on the walls that danced about as the morning breeze rustled the leaves.  Tenchi sighed.

          "Oh man, I don't need this right now."

          Ayeka sat down beside Tenchi on the couch.

He leaned back and rubbed his eyes.  "Do you think we should . . ?"

"Washu's perfectly capable of taking care of herself."

"Yeah," he said, running his hands through his hair before dropping them to his side.  "I guess she is.  So how's Sasami doing?"

          "Oh."  She glanced down at her lap.  "She's much better now.  She was awake for a little while last night."

          Tenchi smiled.  "Hey, that's great!  And she's feeling alright?"

          Ayeka nodded.  "Yes.  At least, I think so.  She didn't say anything . . ." Her voice trailed off.

          Tenchi stood and stretched.  "Well.  Come on then," he said, holding out his hand toward Ayeka.

          The princess looked up at him, then at his outstretched hand.  "What . . ?"

          Tenchi laughed.  "I want to see Sasami.  Don't you want to come?"

          "Oh."  She took his hand, and he helped her to her feet.  "But I don't think she's awake yet."

          "Then we'll just look in on her.  Come on."

          "She looks so peaceful, doesn't she?" Tenchi said, gently closing Sasami's door and stepping back into the hall.

          "Yes, she does," Ayeka said.  "And I'm glad."

          "She did have us pretty scared there for a while, didn't she?" Tenchi said, laughing and scratching the back of his head.

          "I'm just glad it's over now, and she's resting peacefully," Ayeka said, walking a few steps down the hall and taking a seat on a bench facing one of the large windows that looked out on the Juraian countryside.

          "Yeah," Tenchi said, leaning against the wall next to Ayeka's bench.  "But when she started shaking like that . . ." he shook his head.  "No wonder Ryoko was so rattled."

"Ryoko," Ayeka sniffed, "why she's just . . ," she paused, letting the insult hang.  "No," she sighed, "it's not her fault."

          "So Ryoko went after Washu, didn't she?"

          "What are you thinking about her for now, anyway?" Ayeka scowled, looking up at Tenchi.

          "Oh, um," he stammered, backing away from Ayeka.  "I was just worried about them, that's all."

          "They can take care of themselves."

          "Yeah, but . . ."

          "And besides," she said, turning from Tenchi to stare out the window again.  "They're on the other side of the galaxy."

          "Ayeka . . ."

          "And with Sasami sick . . ."

          Tenchi sighed and stepped forward, placing his hands on her shoulders.  "We'll just do what we can, then, and wish them good luck.  I'm sure it's nothing, anyway."

          "Yes," Ayeka said, sniffing.  She reached up and rested her hand on top of Tenchi's.  "Yes, Washu will take care of it."

          Tenchi patted her hand.  "Let's get Sasami some breakfast, why don't we?"

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          "Got you," Shinjiro whispered to himself, slowly leaning forward in his chair and grinning.  "You see 'em too, right Amos?"

          "Yes sir.  And logic would stand to suggest that if we can see them, then they can see us, as well."

          Shinjiro raised an eyebrow at Amos.  "You nervous?  I didn't know you were programmed for that."

          "I wouldn't call it nerves, sir, but I'm a survey ship.  I'm no match for Ryo-oh-ki in battle."

          Shinjiro chuckled.  "Well no shit.  Who said we were going to fight 'em, anyway?"

          "Then how . . ."

          "What do you think all those boxes down in your hold are?  Ballast?"

          Amos paused.  "I don't follow, sir."

          "I bought you a cloaking device, Amos.  Happy birthday."

          "A cloaking device?  But I detect no such equipment on board."

          "It's a passive cloak; you're not supposed to be able to detect it.  It monitors the space in the immediate vicinity, and emulates the signals it receives, effectively turning us into a hole in space.  Not much against visual detection, but it works in a jam."

          "So you just want to follow them?"

          "Until I can think of something better."

          "Like what?"

          He shrugged and folded his hands behind his head.  "I'm not sure yet.  But I've got a few surprises left in me still.  I'll think of something."

            ". . . And that's what happened," Mihoshi said, finishing off the last of the sake` in her cup and reaching for a refill.  Rodger shook his head.

          "So why don't you just go and tell him all that.  Straighten this mess right up."

          "Do you think he'll believe me?" she asked.

          Rodger took the sake` bottle from Mihoshi and refilled his own glass.  "Hell, I don't even know if I believe you.  Time travel, and all that."

          "Oh," Mihoshi said, looking down at her lap.

          "But hey, it's worth a shot."  He tipped his glass back, downing the drink in one gulp.  "Man, this stuff sucks," he grimaced, plopping the small glass down on the table.  "And I traded some perfectly good tea for it, too."

          "You're drinking it too fast," Mihoshi said, sipping at her drink.  "Hey, why don't you tell him?  He's your friend, and he doesn't like me very much at all."

          Rodger stood and leaned against the bulkhead, folding his arms.  "Yeah, well . . ." he laughed and shook his head.  "I thought he was a friend.  I'm not so sure now."

          "Because he left your friend on Earth?"

          "Among other things, yes."

          "But I still don't know why he wants to arrest Washu."

          Rodger shrugged.  "I don't know that he really knows himself.  He swears up and down that he saw her at G.P. headquarters right before it blew.  But even if she was, that still doesn't prove anything."

          "He's . . . uh . . . delusional, isn't he?"

          Rodger chuckled.  "Maybe he is.  Or maybe he's right.  I don't know."

          Mihoshi refilled her glass.  "So why are you helping him then?"

          "Because he pays good."

          Mihoshi gasped.  "You didn't!"

          Rodger took the sake` carafe from Mihoshi and emptied it into his own cup.  It only filled his glass half way and he frowned at it before setting it back on the table.  "Yeah, I sold out.  Though at the time he was pretty convincing."

          "But won't you lose your job now?"

          "If home office finds out, probably."

          Mihoshi shook her head.  "This is all very confusing."

          Rodger sipped at his sake` and nodded.  "Isn't it, though?  Nobody seems to really know why they're doing what they're doing."

          "Well I have to do something.  Washu would never do anything like that, and he doesn't have any right to say that she did."

          "So what are you going to do?"

          Mihoshi sighed and bowed her head.  "I don't know."

          Rodger laughed and lifted his sake` cup in a toast.  "And so the story continues.  Cheers."  He tipped his glass back and downed the last of the wine.  "It's still terrible."

          Mihoshi smiled.  "But I still like it," she said, drinking from her own cup.

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          Sasami woke up feeling exhausted.  The light streaming in through the window told her that it was morning. She groaned, rolling over and covering her head with a pillow.  Morning meant that everyone would be getting up soon.  And as soon as everyone was up, Sasami knew, they would want to come and see how she was feeling.

          Too bad she didn't really know _how _she was feeling.

          Well, she knew she was tired, at least.  Sasami pulled the pillow tight over her head, but couldn't shut out the sunlight that was pouring into her room, so she gave up trying and tossed the pillow aside.  She rolled over and stared at the ceiling, flinging her arms straight out to either side.  They would also want to know what had happened to her.

          She sighed.  Too bad she didn't know that, either.

          Her head felt groggy.  She was exhausted, but it was morning and she had the feeling she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep anyway, even if everyone left her alone.  Like that would happen.

          It wasn't as though she didn't want to see them.  She even felt kind of happy that so many people were concerned about her.  But she really was quite tired, and didn't want to try answering a lot of questions that she didn't know the answers to.

          _She said it would be different,_ she thought, and closed her eyes.  _Tsunami said it would be different now._  The sun was shining on her bed, and she was starting to get warm under the covers.  She sighed again, pushing the bedding aside.  _Everything will be different, and things will start happening._

          She really didn't like the sounds of that.  She sat up and poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand.  The water was pleasantly cool, and Sasami figured that one of the nurses must have refilled the pitcher since her conversation with Ayeka last night.

          "Oh," she said suddenly, setting the glass down and looking around the room.  Ayeka's blankets were folded neatly on the large chair next to the bed, and an unused futon was leaning against the far wall.   "Where did she go?" she wondered.

          Her stomach growled.  "Yeah," she muttered, rubbing her belly, "that's probably where she is."

          She paused and sighed again as she realized she had been talking to herself.  She leaned back against the massive headboard and stared out the window.  It didn't offer much of a view, at least not when compared with the view from her own bedroom.  Of course, her room was with the rest of the royal suites on the uppermost levels of the palace while the infirmary was much closer to the ground.  Her stomach growled again, and she wondered if she should go and get some breakfast.

          "But I don't know where to go," she muttered, resting her head against the headboard as she realized she wasn't very familiar with this section of the palace.  She still felt quite groggy.

          _Everything will be different . . ._

          But she'd also said she'd be there for her; that she would never leave her alone.

          Then why did she feel so lonely?

          "I want to go home," she said, pulling her knees to her chest and bowing her head.

          _. . . Be strong . . ._

          Sasami shook her head.  Everything felt wrong.  She didn't know why, but she felt empty inside, hollow.  Nothing felt the same as it had before.  Everything felt different.

          And she was lonely.  So very lonely.

Lonely and tired.

          Her head still felt groggy, and she started to feel a little dizzy as well.  She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the swimmy feeling that was starting to make her slightly sick.  It didn't help.

          Instead it started to get worse, and in the next instant it felt as though she had been pulled a million miles from her body and she was looking out on the universe and before her surprised eyes lay all the galaxies and stars and planets and continents and oceans and cities and towns and houses and people and hearts and souls.

          And it was beautiful.

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          Ryo-oh-ki drifted slowly and silently through the asteroids, and the _Amos_ crept along behind her, sticking to the shadows and taking care to remain just outside of visual range.  Shinjiro was leaning forward, his elbows resting on the control console and his gaze fixed on the screen.

          Amos watched him silently.

          Up ahead, a particularly large asteroid started to take shape, drifting out of the shadows.  Shinjiro smiled.

          "All right, Amos," he said, looking up at the 'bot.  "Get ready."

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          "Well, Ryo-oh-ki, isn't that cute?" Washu asked, smiling at the crystal.  Ryo-oh-ki meowed her agreement.  They watched as the _Amos_ drifted along behind them, doing it's best to remain hidden and failing.  "It really is a shame you can see right through that nice little cloaking device.  I'm sure it wasn't cheap."

          Ryo-oh-ki grinned.

          Washu leaned back in the chair and started tapping her fingers on the armrest.  "He's certainly a cocky one, though.  I wonder what he's up to?"  She looked at Ryo-oh-ki, who cocked her crystal to the side and meowed.  "We're going to have to do something about him, you know.  We can't go back to Earth, and we can't destroy them . . ." her voice trailed off in thought.  Her fingers danced back and forth across the armrest, and Ryo-oh-ki watched her curiously.

          Suddenly, Washu's eyes gleamed, and she grinned at Ryo-oh-ki.  "Well, I guess I could capture him and alter his memory.  What do you think?"

          The crystal shook her head no.  Washu laughed.  "Yeah, that would take care of things nicely . . . Oh my."

          She felt it before it hit this time, so that she was almost ready for it.  It was as if a red-hot poker had been shoved through her skull and deep into her brain.  She closed her eyes against the pain and clasped her hands to her head.  The poker swirled about within her mind, reaching deeper and deeper into her subconscious, branching out and spreading, seeking . . . searching . . .

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          The fire burned in her, white hot and out of control.  They ran from her, of course.  Most were screaming in terror, but there were a few who cursed her name, braving defiant glances in her direction as they herded their families to safety.  She didn't care about them, one way or another.  If they were in her way, than she removed them.  If not, she ignored them.  It was that simple.

          Or was it?

          She watched them run, a smile on her face, her eyes glowing red, reflecting the condition of her soul.  She watched them run; her soul on fire, her heart weeping.

          He laughed at her, mocking her weakness.  Her smile grew larger, and she laughed the laugh of the tormented, returning to her search.

          She didn't remember which planet it was, and it didn't really matter.  It had always been the same.

          And the gems were there.

          "Miss Ryoko?"

          She woke with a small gasp, the gem on her wrist burning.

          "Damnit," she cursed, sitting up so quickly she almost fell forward out of her chair.  She grabbed her wrist as Yukinojo slid around to look at her.

          "What is it, miss Ryoko?"

          The heat from the gem seared the palm of her hand, and she gritted her teeth, willing the gem to cool.  After a moment, the heat started to subside.

          "Ryoko?"

          "Shit," she said, gingerly letting go of her wrist and looking at her hand.  A small burn was neatly centered in her palm where she had covered the gem.  She balled her hand into a fist and lowered her head.

"Are we there yet, Yukinojo?"

          Yukinojo blinked a few times, gathering his thoughts.  "Uh, yes we are.  I was just about to separate the shuttle.  Are you feeling . . ?"

          "You can let him go now."  

          "Yes, ma'am."

          Ryoko looked up at Yukinojo's view screen.  A vast expanse of asteroids lay in front of them, stretching to eternity in either direction.  Ryoko sighed and flexed her left hand, trying to work the last of the burn from her wrist.  Washu was out there, somewhere in the asteroids.  She was probably enjoying herself, too.

"And don't launch the shuttle until he's up here, either."

          "Yes."

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          Shinjiro watched as Ro-oh-ki passed within a couple hundred yards of the large asteroid, and then seemed to falter and pause.  He grinned and grabbed hold of Amos's throttle lever, shoving it all the way forward.  The engines roared to life and the ship launched forward, curving away from the asteroid it had been half-hiding behind.

          "You ready for this, Amos?" Shinjiro laughed as the ship started to gather speed, breaking from the shadow of the asteroid and into the open space between them and Ryo-oh-ki.

          "I hope this works, sir," Amos said, his gaze fixed on the view screen.  The ship started to shake under the pressure of acceleration.

          Shinjiro nodded.  "Yeah.  Me too."  He looked up at the robot and smiled.

          The _Amos_ continued to pick up speed.

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          It started with white.  Or was it red?  It was an intense light that surrounded her completely, enfolding her in a blanket of peace.  The probing had ceased, retreating as rapidly as it had appeared and leaving her stunned at the suddenness of its departure.  She dropped her hands from her temple and looked around.  She could see nothing but white.

          Now she was confused.  One moment, she had been standing on the bridge of Ryo-oh-ki, laughing at the feeble attempts of Lieutenant Yakagamo to follow them un-noticed, and the next she had been incapacitated by the same searing, invasive pain that had knocked her unconscious earlier that evening.  And now, here she was, standing in the middle of an endless field of pure light.  She shook her head.  _This isn't right_, she told herself, and reached her mind out, feeling for Ryo-oh-ki.  Instead, she felt another presence.  She smiled.

          "What do you want?" she asked out loud, her voice falling flat in the vast expanse of white.

          _To make things better . . ._

          A low rumble started somewhere in the distance, and Washu nodded.

          "Isn't that what we all want?" she asked, looking up as the rumble grew louder, emphasized by the silence of the light that surrounded her.  The presence in her mind grew, spreading from her mind and expanding to fill the rest of her body.  It was a wonderful feeling, so warm and inviting.  So comforting.

          _Remember .__ . ?_

          The rumble grew louder, and the light began to dim.  Washu laughed.  What was this?  It was like nothing she had ever experienced before.  Her mind was completely open; nothing was closed to her.  She could feel every nerve, every muscle of her body.  Her senses extended well beyond their physical limitations and into the realm of the supernatural.  It was amazing.

          _Now do you see . . ?_

          The rumble had grown to deafening levels, but she hardly noticed.  "Yes," Washu said, allowing her senses to extend into the infinite.  The universe lay before her, with all of its glory opened to her newly enlightened consciousness.  She started laughing, quietly at first, but soon her joy overpowered her wonder, and her laughter grew to drown out the ever increasing din of the rumble.

          Ryo-oh-ki cried out to Washu, and she gasped.  The world of light had closed in on her, fading to dark grey.  The powerful presence suddenly abandoned her, leaving her naked in the field of grey.  An incredibly deep rumble penetrated every pore of her body, threatening to tear her apart.

          "What is this?" she cried, shouting into the darkness that surrounded her, her voice echoing off the unseen walls of the prison.  The rumble suddenly exploded, the grey expanding into a pure, intense white and then fading away to reveal Ryo-oh-ki's bridge.  All of the control crystals cried out at once, and Washu winced, trying to shake off the effects of the vision.  Ryo-oh-ki shouted at her again.

          "What?" Washu said, looking up.  On Ryo-oh-ki's view screen, she saw the _Amos_ bearing down on them, his engines going full bore.

          "Oh," Washu said, her eyes going wide as a puff of smoke erupted from the _Amos's_ bow and a missile shot toward them, closing the distance between the two ships far more quickly then she would have liked.

          "Damnit, Ryo-oh-ki!" Washu shouted, lunging for the ships controls.  "Move it!"  Washu grabbed hold of the two balls that served as Ryo-oh-ki's control mechanisms and shoved them forward.  The ship sprang to life, arching away from the missile.

          But too late, and her world was once again filled with noise and light.

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          Ayeka rapped softly on Sasami's door.  "Sasami," she said, cracking the door open, "we've brought you some breakfast."

          She waited for a moment, and when no answer came from inside, she looked at Tenchi, who nodded.  She opened the door all the way, and they went inside.

          Sasami was sitting up in bed, hugging her knees and crying softly.  She sniffed and looked up as she heard Tenchi and Ayeka enter the room.

          "Oh, Sasami," Ayeka gasped, crossing the room quickly.  Sasami smiled weakly and wiped her eyes.

          "Good morning, Ayeka," she said, trying to sound cheerful.  Ayeka sat next to Sasami and wiped the little girls eyes dry.

          "What is it, Sasami?" she asked.  "Is something wrong?"

          Tenchi set the breakfast tray on the end table and sat down next to Ayeka.  

          Sasami sniffed and looked down.  "No, I'm just tired," she said.

          Tenchi smiled at her.  "Well, we brought you some breakfast."

          "Thank you, Tenchi," Sasami said, looking over at the breakfast tray.  She stared at the food for several seconds, and then looked back up at Tenchi and Ayeka.

          "Miss Washu's in trouble, isn't she?" Sasami asked.

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          "The Ryo-oh-ki still hasn't moved," Amos said as the gap between the two ships rapidly decreased.

          "I can see that, Amos," Shinjiro said, shouting to be heard over the roar of the engines and the creaking of the overstressed hull.  The bridge doors slid open and he turned to see Rodger stumbling through the doorway, grabbing hold of the bulkhead to keep from losing his balance.

          "What the hell are you doing to my ship?" Rodger shouted, stepping onto the bridge and looking around at the various gauges and readouts, which were all reading near critical.  Mihoshi came stumbling up the passageway behind him.

          Shinjiro waved him off and turned back to the view screen.  "Don't worry, Rodge.  Amos said he could handle it."

          "Amos doesn't have to pay for the repairs."

          "What's our range, Amos?"

          "Twelve thousand yards and closing at a rate of four hundred yards a second."

          Shinjiro did some quick math in his head.  "Thirty seconds.  Missile range is six thousand, at fifteen seconds.  Damn, what I wouldn't give for a fire control computer right about now."

          "He wasn't built for this, you know," Rodger said, pulling up the right-hand seat.

          "You knew it might come to this.  What's the count, Amos?"

          "Time on target is eighteen seconds, three seconds until mark . . . two . . . one.  Shall I launch?"

          Shinjiro shook his head.  "Wait five more seconds, fire, and then break off and kick it into high gear, and don't slow down until we're behind that asteroid."  He looked over at Rodger.  "We don't want to be around if this doesn't work."

          Rodger nodded.  "Yeah."  The bridge doors slid shut.  He looked over his shoulder and saw Mihoshi standing flat against the aft bulkhead, trying to keep her feet on the roughly shaking deck.  "You might want to grab a seat, Detective.  I've a feeling this is going to get ugly."

          "You're not fighting Washu, are you?" Mihoshi asked, taking a few tentative steps toward the chart table.

          "Missile launch successful, sir," Amos said, swiveling around to look at Shinjiro.

          "Break off," he shouted, leaning forward and punching a button located high up on the console.  A loud explosion sounded from somewhere aft, and the ship gave a sudden lurch forward.  Mihoshi cried out as she was knocked off her feet and fell to the deck, skidding back against the rear bulkhead.

          "Damnit, Shinjiro!" Rodger shouted, twisting back to glare at the lieutenant.

          "Ha ha!  There she goes!" he cried, pointing at the view screen.  A trail of white smoke marked the missiles path, heading straight for Ryo-oh-ki.  The _Amos_ started banking to the left, and the cameras panned with the curve, keeping the missile on screen.

          "Why doesn't she move?" Rodger muttered as the missile bore down on the other ship, and then all was lost to view as they passed behind the asteroid.  A moment later, a bright yellow flash broke the horizon.  Rodger sighed and bowed his head.

          "Oh no!  Washu!" Mihoshi cried, nursing a sprained wrist.

          Shinjiro leaned back in his chair.  "All right, Amos.  You can slow down now.  We'll know if it worked soon enough."

          "How do you figure?" Rodger muttered.

          "Well, if it didn't, she'll be after us in a moment, and shortly thereafter we'll be dead."

          "And that's it?" Rodger said, looking up.

          Shinjiro nodded.  "Pretty much."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

          The missile exploded directly in front of them, less than twenty yards out.  Washu watched in surprise as a massive net unfolded before them, seeming to expand in slow motion from the cloud of smoke and shrapnel that was all that remained of the missile.  The entire surface of the net immediately lit up as enormous amounts of energy started charging through the spider web of cables.

          "Damnit!" Washu shouted, trying to steer Ryo-oh-ki away from the net.

          The next instant, the entire ship lurched as the net crashed down around them, wrapping itself about the multiple spikes and angles of the ship.  Ryo-oh-ki cried out in pain as the energy from the net coursed into her, wreaking havoc with her control functions.

          Rockets attached to the outer edges of the net fired, pulling it tight and dragging Ryo-oh-ki toward the asteroid.  Washu was knocked off her feet as the ship tilted sideways.  Ryo-oh-ki continued to cry out in confusion, and alarms started flashing as dozens of status screens popped up around Washu, all trying to tell her that everything was going wrong.  She cursed and tried to stand up, but was promptly knocked down again as the ship shook violently and a grating, screeching sound drowned out the howl of the alarms.  The screeching grew louder, and the ship gave one last great shake before all went quiet.

          Washu slowly got to her feet and waved for the alarms to shut off.  Ryo-oh-ki stopped crying and looked at Washu worriedly.  She walked over to the command chair and shut off the status readouts so all that remained was the main view screen.  Washu frowned and looked around. The net had them completely ensnared, quite effectively pinning them to the side the asteroid.  She shook her head and looked at Ryo-oh-ki.

          "Well, this sucks."

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          The docking clamps released with a hiss and the shuttle engines ignited, blasting the smaller craft away from _Yukinojo's_ main unit.

          "You do realize, of course," Yukinojo said, steering the shuttle toward the asteroids, "that we have absolutely no idea where to start looking for them."

          Ryoko nodded.  "Yeah, I know.  Just leave it to me."

          "I'd rather not," Adrian said, shifting about uncomfortably as he leaned against the rear bulkhead of the cabin.  He grunted in disgust as he tried to find a suitable position in which to rest his massive frame.  "Damnit, you could at least take the handcuffs off."

          "I could," Ryoko said, closing her eyes.  "Now keep it down, alright?"

          "Like hell," he growled, giving up on getting comfortable and pushing away from the bulkhead.  "First you throw me in the lake, and then you lock me in that cell, and now this . . ." he nodded at his bound wrists.  "And you expect me to shut up?  You're something else, you know."

          "I'm trying to contact Ryo-oh-ki," Ryoko growled.

          "You're what?"

          "Never mind, just shut up already."

          Adrian scowled and fell back against the bulkhead.  "Yeah, well I still say you could take the cuffs off."

          Ryoko clenched her eyes tighter, searching for her starship's presence.  _Come on,_ she thought, calling for Ryo-oh-ki.  _I know you're around here somewhere._

          A slight twinge played at the back of her mind, and she smiled.  _Gotcha'_, she thought and opened her eyes.  The sensation had been fleeting, nothing more than a whisper, but it had been enough.  Ryoko keyed in a set of coordinates.

          Yukinojo chewed on the numbers for second and then looked at Ryoko disapprovingly.  "This location is deep within the asteroid field, Miss Ryoko.  You can't actually mean for us to go in there?  There are too many asteroids, and their courses are indiscriminate."

          "Don't look at me like that.  You knew they went in there."

          "I was secretly hoping that I was wrong."

          "You're bound and determined to kill me, aren't you?" Adrian said, doing his best to fold his arms despite the handcuffs.

          "You started it, remember?  And I thought you miners loved asteroids."

          "When you're in the right sort of ship with the right sort of pilot.  You're neither."

          "Let's get to it, Yukinojo."

          "Yes Ma'am," the computer said, guiding the ship into the field.

          Adrian sighed and watched on the view screen as the shuttle passed into the asteroid belt.  Rocks of all sizes quickly surrounded them.  Beautiful rocks that were undoubtedly laden with ore.

          "Figures," he mumbled.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

          Ayeka blinked.  "What . . . what was that?"

          Sasami sighed and bowed her head.  "Oh.  Nothing."

          Ayeka shook her head.  "But, how can you know about it?  I only found out myself a little while ago."

          Sasami looked up at her sister with a face full of concern.  "Ayeka, we have to help her."

          Ayeka was still shaking her head.  "But. . ."  She brought a hand to her mouth and looked away.

          Sasami looked over at Tenchi.

          "How do you know about that, Sasami?" he asked.  "Ayeka only just told me."

          Sasami shook her head.  "I don't know," she said, wringing her hands.  "But it's true, isn't it?"

          Tenchi nodded.  "Yes, it's true."

          Sasami leaned forward, getting up close to Tenchi.  "Then we have to go!  Washu needs me!"

          "Sasami . . ." he began, putting a hand on her shoulder.  His eyes passed over her forehead, and he paused.

          "I'm sorry, Sasami, but we can't," Ayeka said, turning back to face the two.  "You're still sick."

          "But Ayeka . . ."

          "And they're all the way across the galaxy."

          "Ayeka," Sasami pleaded, almost in tears again.

          Ayeka sighed and wrapped an arm around Sasami's shoulders.  "I'm sorry Sasami.  But there really is nothing we can do from here.  Besides, Miss Washu is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.  And brother Yosho is there, too."

          "But Washu's not well."

          "I want to help them too," Tenchi said.  "But we're going to have to trust that our friends can take care of themselves this time."

          Sasami's lip started to quiver.  "You . . . you guys are mean."

         "Try and get some more rest," Ayeka said, rising from the bed and kissing Sasami on the forehead.  "And you should eat some breakfast, too.  Before it gets cold."

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          Shinjiro looked from Rodger to Mihoshi . . . from Mihoshi to Amos . . . and from Amos back to Rodger.  They'd been sitting behind the asteroid for almost five minutes now.  Rodger sighed.

          "I think you got her, man."

         Shinjiro nodded.  "Yeah, you're probably right."  He sat back and folded his hands behind his head.  "Though I've got to admit, I wasn't entirely certain that net would be able to hold Ryo-oh-ki."

          "Yeah, I'd kinda' figured," Rodger muttered, sliding his seat away from the console.  "So what now?"

          "There's nowhere left for her to run," he said, punching some commands into Amos's computer and standing.  "So now we do what we came here for."  The ship started moving. 

          "What _you_ came here for, you mean," Rodger said.

          "Sure."  He turned for the doors.  Mihoshi stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

          "No," she said, holding her arms out to her side.

          "No?" Shinjiro repeated.

          She shook her head.  "I can't let you do this."

          Shinjiro sighed and looked over his shoulder at Rodger.  The miner shook his head.  "You dragged her into this, man.  She's your problem."

          Shinjiro looked back at Mihoshi.  "You know that I've got to do this, right?"

          "But why?"

          "I'm not going to explain it again."

          Mihoshi shook her head furiously.  "But she's my friend . . ."

          "Who killed all of mine."

          Mihoshi dropped one of her arms and started searching around her belt line.  "You don't know Washu," she said, feeling for her control cube.  "I can't let you go any further, and if you do . . ." She paused and looked down at her belt.  "Oh no.  Where is it?"

          Shinjiro smiled.  "No control cube?"

          "I think . . . maybe . . ." She reached into the large bundle of hair that was tied up to the back of her head.  She felt around for a moment, then frowned.

          Shinjiro sidestepped Mihoshi and patted her on the shoulder as he walked by.  "Don't worry.  I'll try and take it easy on your friend."

          "I appreciate that," Washu said from her perch on the chart table.  "I bruise easily, you know."

          Shinjiro whirled around so fast he almost tripped.  "What the . . !  How did you get here?"

          "Washu!" Mihoshi cried, clasping her hands in front of her.  "You're alright!"

          "That was a cute trick you pulled back there," Washu said, hopping down from the table.  "What with the electric net and all.  I'm quite impressed, really."

          "I'm glad you approve," Shinjiro scowled.  "Now how did you get over here?"

          "Don't worry about it."

          "So what's it going to be, then?" he asked, fingering his holstered pistol.

          "Well, I had been planning on capturing you and altering your memory.  But I'm not going to now."

          "Thank you."

          "But I'm still curious as to what you want.  And I'm not talking about Kain, either."

          "What else is there?"

          "Why don't you tell me?"

          "I just did.  As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing else."

          Washu shook her head.  "You're amazing, Lieutenant.  Even after all this, you still have no idea what it is you're really doing."

          Shinjiro pulled his blaster and pointed it at Washu.  Mihoshi gasped and took a step back, bumping into Rodger.  "No," Shinjiro said, staring hard at Washu.  "I'm pretty sure I know _exactly_ what it is I'm doing."

          There was a brilliant flash of light, and Shinjiro's weapon went skidding across the deck.  Washu stepped forward and lowered her outstretched hand.  He took a step back, rubbing his wrist.

          "I like you, Lieutenant," Washu said.

          "You've got a funny way of showing it," he grumbled, trying to shake some life back into his numbed hand.

          "Not many people are capable of giving me such a hard time."

          "But you're only toying with me, aren't you?"

          "I don't know why you're here, really, but it's not because of Kain.  Of that I'm certain.  Let's just say you've piqued my curiosity."

          Shinjiro glared at her.  "You have no idea what it was like, being there and watching everything around you getting destroyed."

          "I'm sure it was terrible."

          Shinjiro laughed, his voice dripping with disdain.  "Don't you patronize me, Hakubi.  Don't you even dare."

          "I truly am sorry about what happened, but I had nothing to do with any of it."

          "Damnit, Hakubi!  I saw you!  Plain as day, right there in front of me."

          Washu shook her head.  "You couldn't have . . ."

          "Save it!" he shouted.  In one swift movement he dropped his hands behind his back and emerged with a pistol in each fist.  The weapons were pointed at Washu's head in an instant.  Washu smiled as she held her sword to Shinjiro's neck, the gentle red glow illuminating his chin and throat.

          "No, don't!" Mihoshi shouted, stepping forward.  Rodger grabbed her by the shoulder and shook his head.

          "You _will_ be coming with me."  Shinjiro said.

          Washu's eyes gleamed.  "Now this should be interesting."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

          The sun was now shining fully through the windows of the palace's hallways.  Tenchi sighed and rubbed his eyes as he walked with Ayeka down the long corridor.

          "So what now?" he asked.

          Ayeka shook her head.  "I don't know."

          Their footsteps echoed off the walls, following them as they walked down the hall.  The only other people they'd seen so far had been a couple of nurses and a few orderlies.  As far as royalty was concerned, it was still early.

          "Did you notice her forehead?" Tenchi asked.

          Ayeka nodded.  "Yes.  Last night, when she first woke up."

          "What does it mean?"

          "I don't know."

          Tenchi paused for a moment to think.  His footsteps caught up with him.  "Does she know about it?"

          Ayeka kept walking.  "I don't think so.  No."

          Tenchi shook his head and hurried to catch up with Ayeka again.  "Well, don't you think we should tell her?"

          Ayeka sighed and looked over at Tenchi.  "I don't know what we should do.  It's all so very confusing."

          Tenchi laughed and scratched his head.  "Yeah, you could say that again."

          "I wish Miss Washu was here.  She'd know what to do."

          "But what about your parents?  I'm sure they've got an idea what it all means."

          Ayeka shook her head.  "Maybe.  But I've never heard of anything like this happening in all of Jurai's history.  I don't think anyone has."

          "You mean Sasami's marks, right?"

          "I mean all of it.  Her fainting, her panic attacks.  You heard the doctor, Tenchi.  She didn't have any idea what was happening."

          "Yeah.  I guess you're right."

          Ayeka stopped walking and turned to look out one of the windows.  All of Jurai lay before them, stretching for miles in every direction with its rolling hills and oceans of trees.  The mid-morning sun shone over it all, basking the land with a gentle glow.  Tenchi walked over and stood beside her.  She sighed.  "I hate to leave her here alone, though."

          Tenchi nodded.  "So you want to go, then?"

          "Washu is the only one who can help her."

          Tenchi smiled.  "Don't worry, she'll understand.  Besides, your parents are here."

         Ayeka folded her arms and watched some birds landing on the lower branches of the palace.  "Yes, my parents."  She laughed to herself and rolled her eyes.  "Oh my, how am I going to tell them?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------

          He stared at her, and she stared back, smiling.

          _. . . Wisps of smoke drifted slowly between them . . ._

          "Washu, don't . . ." Mihoshi pleaded again.

          "I've had it with your games, Hakubi," Shinjiro said, glaring at Washu.

          "This is staring to get old, isn't it?"

          Shinjiro lowered his eyes to where Washu's sword was held to his neck.  His gaze traveled the length of the blade, up her arm and past the sights on his pistols back to her face.  Back to her eyes.

          _Washu.___

          A small pain shot though his skull, and he winced.  Washu raised an eyebrow.

          "What is it, Lieutenant?  Getting tired?"

          Shinjiro shook his head and blinked, then looked Washu in the eyes again.  He smiled.  "You going to lower your sword, Hakubi?  Or are we going to have to do this the hard way?"

          "I do believe it was you who drew on me first."

          "So that's a 'no', then?"

          "It's simply an observation on dueling etiquette," she said, the sword vanishing from her hand.  Shinjiro raised an eyebrow questioningly as she stepped back and opened her empty hands for him to see.

          "Giving up, then?"

          She smiled.  "Only if you're willing to speak with me in a civilized manner."

          "You want me to lower my guns."

          Washu pulled up a chair.  "It would make things easier."

          Shinjiro watched her sit down, and he slowly lowered his pistols.  "But you already know what I have to say."

          "And Mihoshi's already told you our version of what happened, I'd imagine."

          "Yeah," Rodger said, folding his arms and leaning against the control console.  "And it was just as crazy as his story."  He nodded toward Shinjiro.

          "I haven't heard it yet," Shinjiro said, looking back at Washu.

          "Suffice it to say that none of us was anywhere near G.P. headquarters at that time.  Kain headed straight for Earth after he got out, and then tried to kill Tenchi's mother in the past."

          "That Earth boy you're living with?  Why the hell would he want to do that?"

          "You did read Mihoshi's report, didn't you?" Washu asked.

          "Of course."

          Washu sighed and rubbed her temple.  "They must have edited it then," she muttered.  She looked back up at Shinjiro.  "Tenchi is Yosho's grandson."

          Shinjiro snorted, not sure whether to be shocked or disgusted.

          Rodger looked from Shinjiro to Washu.  "Who's Yosho?"

          "He was the First Prince of Jurai," Shinjiro said, still looking at Washu.  "But he's been missing for seven hundred years now, ever since he took off to do battle with the space pirate Ryoko after she sacked the royal palace.  No one's seen him since."

          "You met him this evening, you know," Washu said.

          Shinjiro shook his head.  "That old man at the house?  No way."

          Washu grinned.  "Yep.  He's been living on Earth ever since he defeated Ryoko.  So you see, Kain wanted revenge on the Juraian royalty for locking him up in subspace.  He went back in time to Earth in an attempt to destroy all Juraian blood on that planet.  Exactly why he chose that time and place I still don't know.  But that's what happened, and we all followed him back in time to stop him.  So you see, I couldn't have let him out of his lock-up."

          "I told you it was crazy," Rodger said.

          Shinjiro shook his head.  "Juraian nobility and time travel.  An Earth boy who's the grandson of a long-lost prince and a revenge-obsessed super villain with a sense of the dramatic.  You should write fiction, Hakubi.  You'd make a fortune."

          "I showed you mine, now show me yours."

          "I've told you all you need to know."

          "Or you've told me all _you_ know?"

          Shinjiro scowled.  "No more games, Hakubi.  Speak plainly."

          "What do you remember about the destruction of headquarters?"

          "I remember you."

          "Now who's playing games?"

          "Fire.  Smoke.  My friends dying all around me.  And you climbing into an escape pod on deck thirty-three, one deck below the controls for Kain's subspace lock-up.  Visitors aren't allowed on those decks.  Hell, half of the personnel in the G.P. aren't even allowed down there.  So why would someone from the Science Academy be on those decks at that time?  You're smart, Hakubi.  You do the math."

          Washu shook her head.  "If I'm so smart, why would I be wearing my uniform after setting him loose?"

          Shinjiro's scowl turned to a frown.

          "And you might want to grab on to something," Washu added.

          He blinked.  "What?"

          Amos's alarms suddenly screamed to life and the entire ship heaved violently to the side as a massive explosion rocked the ship.  Shinjiro was knocked to the deck, and Mihoshi and Rodger were thrown back against Amos's control console.

          "What the hell was that!" Rodger shouted, shouldering past Mihoshi so that he could reach Amos's controls.

          "I am sorry sir, but they caught me by complete surprise."

          "Damnit, Amos!  Who?" Shinjiro asked, getting to his feet.  "And shut off those stupid alarms."

          Washu stood and smiled, the deck still trembling under her feet.  Mihoshi looked up at the main view screen.  "Oh look!" she cried, her eyes going wide.  "It's Yukinojo!"

          "Who?" Shinjiro demanded, working his way to Amos's controls.  Suddenly the entire view screen was filled with the gleaming white hull of Yukinojo as the shuttle blasted past, mere feet from Amos's bow.

          "WHOA!" Shinjiro cried, instinctively stepping back from screen.  The _Amos_ shook again as Yukinojo passed by, bombarding the mining ship with its jet blast.

          "That would be Ryoko," Washu said.

          "They have completely destroyed my port engine," Amos said as Shinjiro slid into the left-hand seat.  "But fortunately the damage was limited to the engine compartment." 

Rodger looked back at Washu.  "The space pirate Ryoko?" he asked.  She nodded.  Rodger turned back to his controls and shook his head.  "Ah, crap.  So where the hell are they?" he asked, flipping through Amos's various tactical displays.

          "Get the 'bots started in on the repairs," Shinjiro ordered. 

           "Not that it'll do you any good," Ryoko said from the back of the bridge.

          "Shit!" Shinjiro growled, spinning his chair around and pointing his pistols toward Ryoko.  She was standing in front of the bridge doors, wearing a black and red jumpsuit and holding a light sword.  Adrian was standing next to her, his wrists bound with handcuffs.

          "I believe this is yours," she said, grabbing Adrian by the back of his jacket and shoving him into the room.

          "Hey, take it easy!" Adrian shouted, stumbling across the bridge.  Washu folded her hands behind her head and stuck her foot out as Adrian stumbled by, tripping him up and sending him falling toward Shinjiro.

          Ryoko launched herself forward, flying across the bridge and grabbing Washu by the arm.  Adrian crashed into Shinjiro before he'd had the chance to avoid the collision, and the two of them fell to the deck as the chair slipped out from under Shinjiro.

          ". . . And these are mine," Ryoko laughed, grabbing hold of Mihoshi.

          "Damnit!" Shinjiro shouted, prying himself out from under Adrian and jumping to his feet.

          "See ya," Ryoko said as the three women vanished from the bridge, the pirate's laughter still ringing in Shinjiro's ears.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

          Sasami sat in her bed, staring at the door.  It was a fairly ordinary door, she decided after a while.  Tenchi and Ayeka had walked out of it only a few minutes ago, and it had closed behind them just like it was supposed to.  It did its job well, isolating her from the rest of the palace and ensuring her privacy: It kept the rest of the world out so that she could be alone.  She looked down at the foot of her bed.  The sheets were there, bunched up from when she had shoved them off earlier.  She didn't know why that seemed important, so she figured that it probably wasn't.

          Washu was in trouble, and here she was worrying about doors and sheets.

          She frowned as she heard Tenchi asking her again: "How do you know . . ?"

          "How _do_ you know?" she asked herself, leaning back against the headrest.  The answer was fairly simple.

          _You just do._

          She sighed and closed her eyes.  A strange sort of answer, that was.  It didn't really answer the question, but it summed everything up quite nicely, neatly explaining all that had been going on since she had first collapsed on Earth.

          _How do you know?  'You just do.'_

_          Why is this happening to me?  'It just is.'_

          Pure.  Simple.  Accurate.

          Insufficient.

          She opened her eyes and poured herself a glass of juice from the pitcher on the breakfast tray.  Her parents should be coming by any minute now, she knew.  She was actually somewhat surprised that they hadn't stopped by yet.  Of course, it was still early, barely breakfast time.  Maybe they didn't even know she was awake yet.

          Washu was in trouble.  _How . . . You just do._

          A small pain shot through her head, and she winced, almost spilling her juice.  She rubbed her temple as she set the glass back on the nightstand.

          _You have to do something,_ she told herself, _because Ayeka and Tenchi aren't going to._  Another pain shot through her head, and she started to feel slightly dizzy.  She closed her eyes.

          And then she vanished, disappearing in a cloud of blue light that settled gently onto the soft bed before fading away.

          In the center of the great palace of the Jurai royal family there was a large room that extended for several levels through the very heart of the great tree upon which the palace was built.  The climate of this room was carefully controlled, and the only access was through a set of large double doors to which there was no key.  It was in this room that the royal trees, the offspring of the primogenitor tree Tsunami, were grown and kept until their day of bonding, and only they could unlock the doors.

          On the lowest level of the room there stood a solitary tree, surrounded on all sides by water.  It was a small tree, and there was nothing spectacular about it to distinguish it from the others that were grown here.

          A gentle breeze arose, and the water lapped softly at the tree's trunk.  Its leaves rustled, and a single beam of light rose from the tree, shooting skyward.

          Every tree in the great nursery felt this.  In an instant, the entire room was filled with multicolored streams of light as they replied, agreeing to the wishes of their mother.

          Tsunami had spoken.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

          "All right, Ryo-oh-ki, let's go!" Ryoko cried the moment she materialized on the bridge.  Mihoshi and Washu appeared next to her.  One of Ryo-oh-ki's crystals popped up next to Ryoko and meowed.

          Ryoko took hold of Ryo-oh-ki's controls.  "Okay, let 'er rip!"

          Ryo-oh-ki's crystal smiled wide and meowed her agreement.  The next instant the entire view screen lit up red as her lasers ignited and shot forward, slicing into the net that still had them pinned to the asteroid.

          "Watch it!" Rodger shouted, instinctively pulling Amos's throttle into full reverse as Ryo-oh-ki's laser beam shot past.  The starboard engine wound up, whining in protest as the ship backed away from the asteroid in a lopsided arc.

          "Damnit! That bitch is firing at us now!" Adrian growled as he pulled himself to his feet.  Shinjiro grabbed the chair and pulled it back to the console.

          "If she was really shooting at us, we'd already be dead," he said, sitting down and taking the controls from Rodger.

          "Then what the hell do you call that?" Adrian asked, gesturing at the view screen.

          "They're cutting themselves free," Rodger said.  As he spoke, the laser started to arc across the surface of the net.

          Shinjiro smirked.  "Good luck," he said, folding his hands behind his head.  Rodger looked over at him.

          "They can't do that, can they?"

          "For what I paid for that damned thing they'd better not be able to."

          "It's no good," Washu said, stepping up next to Ryoko.  "That net is designed specifically to repel laser attacks."

          "Ryo-oh-ki and I have gotten out of tougher spots than this before."

          Washu shook her head and sighed.  "How does your gem feel?"

          Ryoko looked down at Washu.  "What?"

          "In case you haven't noticed, you're not as strong as usual.  Neither is Ryo-oh-ki.  We can't get out this way."

          "What the hell are you talking about?"

          "You're pointing it the wrong way," Washu said, elbowing Ryoko out of the way.  She took hold of the controls, and the laser swept downward, pointing itself at the asteroid.  The beam cut though the surface, burning the rock out from under the anchors that held the net in place.  Ryoko watched Washu guiding the laser for a moment, then turned aside and looked down at her wrist.  The gem that was imbedded there gleamed back at her, looking much the same as it always had, the bright red surface standing in sharp contrast to the black of her jumpsuit.  She flexed her wrist and sighed.  Ryo-oh-ki's laser continued to cut through the asteroid.

          "Ryoko?"

          "What is it, Mihoshi?"

          "Where's Yukinojo?"

          Ryoko flexed her wrist again and looked back up at Ryo-oh-ki's view screen.  "He's on his way out by now, I would think."

          "Oh."

          "That's it!" Washu shouted.  "We're free."  The laser shut off and Washu shoved Ryo-oh-ki's controls forward.  The ship responded immediately, launching itself away from the asteroid.  The net grew taught for a second, then ripped itself loose from the rock with a resounding crack that echoed through Ryo-oh-ki's halls.

          "Clever girl," Shinjiro muttered as he watched Ryo-oh-ki's laser digging into the asteroid.

          "That could work, couldn't it?" Rodger asked.

          Shinjiro nodded.

          "Then shouldn't we do something about it?"

          "Like what?" he asked, pulling back on Amos's throttle again.  The undamaged engine started up, backing the ship farther from the asteroid.

          "I don't know.  Anything.  They're likely to be pretty pissed off when they get out of that thing, and I don't want them venting that anger on me, thank you very much."

          Shinjiro sighed and sat back in his seat.  "Don't worry, Rodge.  They're not going to kill us.  If they had wanted to do that, you'd know it by now.  'Aint that right, Adrian?"

          "Screw you," Adrian said, dropping himself into one of the chairs at the chart table.

          They looked up at the view screen as the Ryo-oh-ki pulled itself free, the net springing forward and drifting off into space, large chunks of rock still attached to its numerous anchors.  The ship rocketed forward, shooting past the _Amos_ and rapidly fading from view, recklessly and skillfully darting in and out of the asteroids.  Shinjiro sighed again and gave a half-hearted salute to the screen.

          "Well done, Hakubi.  Well done."

          Washu sat back in the command chair and grinned.  "So, Ryoko, what do you think?"

          "What do I think about what?"

          "What do you think about our new friend, the Lieutenant?"

          "He's a total nutcase.  Now what was that you were saying about the gems?"

          "Simply put, I think they're losing their power."

          Ryoko turned and stared at her.  "That's not funny, Washu."

          "No, it's not.  Can't you feel it, though?  I know you can, even if you don't know what it means."

          Ryoko turned away from Washu, taking hold of Ryo-oh-ki's controls.  Washu stood and walked to the edge of the bridge, looking out on the asteroids as they flew past.

          Ryoko shook her head.  "It feels like it did when we were fighting with Kagato, when he was draining my power.  Only it's not as strong."

          Washu nodded.  "Yes.  As if we're trapped."

          "So what does it mean?"

          She shrugged.  "I don't know.  But Lieutenant Yakagamo's involved, even if he's not aware of it.  And so is Sasami."

          "What are you talking about, Washu?" Mihoshi asked, stepping forward.

          Washu turned to look at the detective.  Sunlight broke from behind an asteroid, silhouetting Mihoshi against a backdrop of stars and infusing her curly blonde hair with streaks of fire.  Washu caught herself staring.  "You're in this too, Mihoshi Kuramitsu," Washu said, turning back to look out on space.  "This is something that involves us all, and it's just beginning."

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          "You called for me, Father?" Ayeka asked, stepping into the throne room and delivering a short bow.  The guards pulled the doors closed behind her.

         King Azusa was alone in the room, seated in his overly large throne and apparently lost in thought.  He looked up as his daughter spoke, and just sat there for a moment, staring at her.

          "It is good that you are home again, Ayeka."

          Ayeka smiled and approached the throne.  "Yes, it is good to be back."

          "Come," Azusa said, gesturing to the smaller chair to his left.  "Have a seat.  I would like to talk with you."

          "I have a better idea," Ayeka said.  "Come with me to see Sasami.  She's awake now, you know."

          Azusa sighed and closed his eyes, turning away from his daughter.

          Ayeka's smile fell.  "What is it, Father?"

          The King tapped his fingers on the armrest nervously.  He looked up at her with hollow eyes.  "I would like that very much."

          Ayeka shook her head.  "Then why . . ?"

          "I'm afraid she has disappeared."

          Ayeka blinked.  "disappeared?"  She slowly sat down.  "How is that . . ?  You mean she's missing?"

          Azusa nodded.  "Only a little while ago."

          Ayeka stuttered.  "But . . . but Tenchi and I were just . . ."

          The king continued.  "She is not in the palace, and her ship Tsunami was spotted briefly in orbit.  Also, the trees reacted strangely not too long ago, so it is my belief, and your mothers as well, that for whatever reason Sasami has gone into space by herself."

          "But why would she . . ?  You have ships out looking for her?"

          "Of course.  But if she is in Tsunami they will not find her until she is ready."

          Ayeka sighed and bowed her head.  "What is going on here, father?"

          "I don't know."

          They sat in silence for bit.

          "So you have no idea what is happening to my sister?"

          "No.  I've never heard of anything like it before."

          Ayeka stood.  "Then I'm going to go and find her, and take her back to Washu."

          Azusa looked up.  "To Washu!  What is this?"

          "Miss Washu is the only one who can help her."

          "No.  You are going to stay here, with your family.  I have my most trusted councilors looking for her as we speak.  I've already lost one daughter today, I will not lose another."

          "You said it yourself, father.  They won't find her unless she wants them to."

          "Ayeka," Azusa said, rising and taking her hands in his.  "I know this is difficult, but if our enemies find out what has been going on, Sasami will be in great danger.  We must maintain our composure, and no one must know of this.  If you leave, people will take notice."

          "I must do something," she said, pulling her hands free and turning away from the King.

          "Ayeka."

          "I'm sorry father, but I'm going."  She started for the doors.

          Azusa shook his head.  "No, I forbid it."

          Ayeka gasped as a force field materialized around her.  She whirled around and glared at Azusa.  "Father, what are you doing?"

          "I'm sorry, Ayeka, but you've defied me twice before.  First when you went after Yosho, and then when you remained on Earth with that boy.  I cannot allow you to go.  It is too dangerous for the both of you."

          Ayeka balled up her fists.  "I am not a child anymore, father, but Sasami is."  Several small logs appeared around her and pressed outward against the shield.

          "Ayeka, you misunderstand . . ."

          Ayeka's headband glowed bright blue, and Azusa's shield crackled under the pressure of the logs.  She closed her eyes and tensed, and the shield shattered, the logs exploding out into the room as the shield gave way.  She looked up at her father.

          "I'm going now."  She turned and walked from the throne room, the doors opening of their own accord.  Azusa watched her go, and collapsed back into his throne.

          "That was sweet of you, Azusa-chan," Seto Kamiki said, stepping out from behind the massive chair.  "But you need to be stricter with your children, or you risk spoiling them.  It was kind of you to let her go, though."

          Azusa sighed.  "I suppose it was, dear grimalkin, but I truly do not want her to go.  I see nothing to be gained by it."

          "So you did not allow her to leave?"

          "No, I did not."

          Seto nodded.  "She reminds me of you, when you were young.  And that boy, Tenchi, he's certainly sweet."

          Azusa snorted.  "He's too much like his grandfather."

          Seto smiled.  "Then I feel bad for their enemies.  They don't stand a chance."

          Azusa nodded.  "I hope you're right, Seto-domo."   He sighed and shook his head.  "Why must my children always leave like this?"


	3. That Which We Have Lost

The Advent of Washu

-Cascade-

He stopped walking down the passageway and looked around. It was quiet. So quiet, in fact, that the weight of the silence pressed down on him like a bed of nails, grating at his very subconscious. The station was self-destructing around him, and it wasn't making a sound.

He shrugged and started walking again, his footsteps echoing off the mangled bulkheads and fractured decks. The irony in this did not escape him as he walked, listening to the gentle sounds of each footfall as they followed along behind him, breaking the otherwise complete silence.

The smoke filled passageways were empty, void of their usual throngs of panicked officers rushing to escape the doomed station. He found this interesting. He'd had this dream many times before, and it had always remained fundamentally the same. This time it was different. This time it was quiet. And calm.

The bulkhead next to him silently exploded, and he turned to watch as the fire flowed through the air, filling the space between the walls with its ribbons of orange and yellow and crimson. White-hot shards of steel shot outward, propelled by the force of the explosion and ricocheting off of the opposite wall. He turned his head to follow one of the pieces as it flew through the air, watching as the superheated piece of metal slowly cooled before falling to the deck and bouncing down the passageway. She was down there, he knew, waiting for him only a few paces down the hall. The piece of steel skidded to a stop.

There was a sharp tug at his chest, and he looked down, his curiosity aroused. A small hole exploded outward from his left breast, blood and bone erupting from the wound as a shard of metal ripped through his chest. He arched an eyebrow. _This is a new one,_ he thought, watching the piece of shrapnel fly off down the hall, a trail of blood following behind it like the tail of a comet.

"Welcome," she said. He looked past the shrapnel and saw her standing there in front of the life pod door. He walked toward her, the explosion dissipating behind him and dissolving into wisps of smoke that swirled about in the confines of the passageway. He smiled. This was the first time she had spoken to him in his dreams.

"Why are you here?" he asked as he approached her, the heat from the explosion passing over them and causing her hair to blow about in its wake.

She smiled. "Why are _you_ here, really?"

The wave of warm air passed on and the passageway began to fill with smoke again. Her hair settled down, falling gently across her shoulders. He looked up at her face again, at her eyes. It always came back to her eyes, no matter how he tried to avoid it. Every time.

"I don't know," he said, looking away. "I need you to tell me. I need to know."

She nodded and turned to face the escape pod. "That is something I cannot do." She stepped through the door.

He shook his head and stepped forward. "Then why are you here?" he asked. "Why are you doing this to me?"

She turned and looked at him wistfully. She smiled. "I'm making things better."

And the door slammed silently shut, and the deck rumbled under his feet.

"Damnit!" he cursed, slamming his fist into the bulkhead. The wall shattered, splintering into a thousand pieces and giving away before him. The universe lay beyond, and he saw it all with a clarity of understanding that he had never before experienced. The wound in his chest throbbed, and his heart fluttered weakly before it died. The blood in his veins turned to ice. He sighed and closed his eyes, holding his arms out to the sides. The universe flowed through him in that moment; that instant between life and death when all is suddenly clear. A low rumble started somewhere off in the distance.

The station silently exploded behind him, folding in on itself and giving itself to the stars. His eyes flew open and he cried out with every fiber of his being, giving himself over to the flood of comforting warmth that surged through him, filling him to the brink and spilling over to touch all that surrounded him.

The rumble grew louder, and he started to laugh. This was amazing. He could feel his every nerve bundle and muscle group. Every function of his body was under his direct control, and his heart started beating again with newfound strength. The rumble was upon him now, and he allowed it to wash over him; to fill him with its awesome power.

When it passed, she was before him, even more beautiful than before. Her presence filled him with awe, and he looked away. She smiled and reached out, lifting his chin so that their eyes met.

"Now do you see?" she asked.

Her gaze held him captive, and he struggled against its power. She drew him in deeper, the sharp lines of her face accentuating the gentle power that was hidden behind the soft green of her eyes. Three circles of green graced her forehead. He shuddered.

"What's happening to me?" he whispered.

"You are searching."

"For what?"

She brushed her hand across his cheek and started to drift away. "For me," she said, fading into nothing.

And, for now, he was alone.

**********************006*********************

That Which We Have Lost

"Do you really think she's going to Earth?" Tenchi asked.

Ayeka turned away from the window. "There's nowhere else for her to go to."

Tenchi nodded and sat back in his seat. It didn't really make any sense to him, why Sasami would be doing this, but nothing that had happened during the last week (Is that all it had been?) had made any sort of sense, either. Everything that had happened since he'd left for Jurai had felt like a dream. Some of it had been good, such as the conversations he'd had with the Lady Funaho. Since the incident with Kagato, when he had learned so suddenly and unexpectedly the truth that his grandfather had skillfully hidden from them all, he had never quite realized just what the royal blood flowing through his veins could mean. It had been startling to learn that he was a prince, but until recently that truth had felt distant, unreal. He'd never been to Jurai before, and though his house was filled with alien women, Jurai was really nothing more than a word to him; that magnificent and powerful world from which some of his most dear friends had come. But it had remained alien to him.

And then, a few days ago, he'd set foot on soil that was not from Earth for the first time, and the word that was Jurai took on new meaning and substance. Jurai was real. And with that realization had come another truth, one that had not occurred to him until Lady Funaho had explained it to him in that oh so subtle way: He did not truly belong on Earth.

True, the majority of his blood was Earthling; his mother had only been half-Juraian. But the Juraian blood in him was strong, and the longer he stayed on Jurai the more he felt it and the more he accepted it. It was funny how life worked sometimes, he thought. A year ago his life had been simple and care-free, but now everything was different.

"There's nothing there for her," Tenchi said, looking past Ayeka and out the window behind her. Jurai seemed to glow with its own radiance, its shades of blue and green heightened by the blackness of space beyond. The planet grew smaller as Ryu-oh carried them away.

"I know," Ayeka said, taking a seat across from Tenchi. "Miss Washu took off into space, and we don't know where she is now."

Tenchi looked at Ayeka and smiled softly. That wasn't what he'd meant. "We should call Grandpa then, and let him know. Maybe he can talk to her, if she shows up."

"Yes, maybe we should."

They sat in silence for a bit, watching as Jurai grew smaller and smaller in the window until it was nothing more than another point of light in the curtain of black.

"So what do we do now?" Ayeka asked, breaking the silence.

Tenchi looked at her, mildly surprised at the question. "Well, we find Sasami, of course."

Ayeka shook her head. "No, I mean after that. After all of this is finished and Sasami's better. Do we go back to Earth?"

"Of course we do."

"You've been formally introduced at court now. You will be expected to perform your duties as a prince."

Tenchi nodded. He knew it was true, of course. "Nothing is the same anymore, is it?"

"No, it isn't."

"I guess that's what Lady Funaho was trying to tell me the other day. I wonder if she ever felt the same way?"

"About what?"

Tenchi looked out at the stars again. There was so much out there. So much more than he'd ever imagined. He'd been in space before, but it had never made him feel like this. Everything _was_ different.

"About leaving Earth."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Shinjiro stepped through the doors that opened onto the galley before he'd realized exactly where it was he'd been heading. Both Rodger and Adrian were sitting at the table with mostly empty plates of food in front of them. The two men looked up as he entered the room. Adrian stared at him for a moment, snorted, and turned back to his food.

Shinjiro sighed inwardly. "Shit," he muttered. The doors slid shut behind him. He had drifted off momentarily while on the bridge and his dream had left him feeling disoriented. He really didn't feel like facing his companions at the moment. Especially not with the way things had been going recently. He sighed and walked over to the table anyway.

"Morning, gentlemen," he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee and sitting down.

"It aint morning, and we aint gentlemen," Adrian grumbled, not looking up from his plate.

Shinjiro shrugged. "Close enough." He set the pot down and sipped his coffee.

Rodger pushed his plate away and rested his elbows on the table. "What's going on here, man?"

Shinjiro shrugged and blew on his drink. "She got away. It happens from time to time. Even to me."

Adrian snorted. Rodger shook his head. "That's not what I meant, and you know it. Level with us."

Shinjiro took another sip of his coffee. "I already told you all I know."

"I saw the way you were looking at her earlier. Half the time you wanted to rip her head off, but the rest of the time. . ." he paused and shook his head. "Man, the way she was speaking to you . . . she played you like a fiddle."

"She was playing us all," Shinjiro said, setting his coffee aside. "You saw the sort of power she had. She's been screwing with us from the get-go."

Adrian dropped his fork and pushed his plate aside. "So why hasn't she killed us yet, huh? She's certainly had the chance."

"How would I know?"

"And what's with that detective, Mihoshi?" Rodger asked. "What'd you drag her into this for?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Shinjiro said, grabbing his coffee cup. "Now can I eat my breakfast, or shall we step on down the hall to the interrogation room? I hear they just redecorated. Supposed to be real comfortable now."

"Asshole," Adrian muttered into his drink.

Shinjiro looked over at the larger man. "On occasion," he said.

"Hey Adrian, how's Amos doin' on the repairs?" Rodger asked.

"You askin' me to leave?" Adrian grumbled, not taking his eyes off of Shinjiro. The Lieutenant stared back at him just as intently.

"Yes, I am."

Adrian tapped his fingers on the table, glaring at Shinjiro. After a moment he shoved his chair back and stood. "I want the rest of my money, and then I want you off my ship."

"Don't worry," Shinjiro said, turning his attention back to his drink, "I'll be gone soon enough."

Adrian looked as if he was going to say something more, then snorted again and walked from the messdeck, the doors sliding closed behind him and somehow managing to give the impression of slamming shut, even though they were automatic. Rodger leaned back in his chair and sighed. Shinjiro looked at him and smiled.

"You look like hell, Rodge."

"No shit. After what you've put us through?"

"You knew it might get rough. I'm sorry about your ship, though."

Rodger shook his head and waved him off. "Hell, I don't care about all that. I just want to know what's going on in that screwed-up cop head of yours. What'd you have to drag us all into this for, anyway?"

"I didn't hear you complaining when I offered you the money."

"You weren't straight with us."

Shinjiro chuckled. "Don't tell me you believe her."

"Their stories matched, you know."

"Of course they did. They've had a couple of months to get it all straight."

Rodger shook his head. "I don't know. I'm no cop, but that seems like a pretty complex cover story. Too many little things to get snagged up on, not to mention just how crazy the whole thing sounds"

"I know what I saw, and I saw _her_."

"You're positive?"

Shinjiro leaned forward and looked Rodger in the eyes. "Yes."

Rodger sighed, then nodded. "Just as long as you know what you're doing. 'Cause from where I'm sitting, things are starting to get a little weird."

Shinjiro sat back and sighed. "Yeah, well, things have been weird for me ever since I woke up in your sick bay."

"Look man, I just need to know that you're playing with a full deck, that's all. Adrian was right. She could have killed us whenever she wanted, and that's not a position I like being in. If you say she blew up the G.P., I'll believe you. But there's got to be another way of going about this thing."

"I don't know that there is. And anyway, I know what I'm doing."

"And what's that?"

Shinjiro took a sip of his coffee and smiled. "Apparently I'm searching."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"So what are we waiting for?" Ryoko demanded, pointing past Washu and back into the asteroids. They had been flying for nearly half an hour before coming to rest near the outer edges of the field.

"I need some time to think," Washu said, letting go of Ryo-oh-ki's controls and sitting back in the command chair. Two more seats rose up through the floor next to Ryoko and Mihoshi.

"And you can't do that on our way back to take care of those guys?" Ryoko said, frowning.

"I don't want to go back yet. I want to give him some time to think things over."

Mihoshi slowly took her seat. "But he's obsessed with you, Miss Washu. I don't think he's going to change his mind."

Washu looked back at the detective. "Well I don't really expect him to. But he's eventually going to have to ask himself what it is he's really doing, and it'll be interesting to see what happens when he does."

"Come on, Washu," Ryoko said, dropping into her chair. "Mihoshi just said it, the guy's a freak. He's not going to quit anytime soon"

Washu shook her head. "So what do you want to do, Ryoko? Kill him?"

She shrank back in her seat a little.

Washu continued. "But you're both right. We can't just let him run around loose up here, so we're going to have to do something eventually. That's why I want to see what he's going to do next. I want to see if anything we said to each other changes how he acts or not."

"So that's all you're going to do, huh? Just sit here and wait for him to come back to you?"

Washu nodded. "Pretty much. I certainly don't want him going back to Earth."

Mihoshi stirred in her seat. "But what are you going to do when he gets here? He's not very nice but I don't want you to hurt them."

"Don't worry. I'm just going to talk to him is all. See if I can't figure out why he believes what he does. You have to admit it's pretty strange for him to have come to the conclusions that he did. And why did he wait so long to start coming after me? The G.P was destroyed months ago."

"Rodger said they found him in an escape pod," Mihoshi said.

Washu arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Did he say where?"

Mihoshi shook her head.

Ryoko shrugged. "So what? He'd said he was there when it blew, didn't he?"

"Yes," Washu said, "but I never really believed him. But now . . ." She shook her head. "I just need to talk to him some more."

"So let me get this straight," Ryoko said, folding her arms and looking Washu in the eyes. "You've got some crazy cop intent on arresting you for something you couldn't possibly have done; my gems are losing their power and it's affecting Ryo-oh-ki as well, and you have no idea what's causing it. All this starts happening at about the same time as Sasami wigs out in the kitchen, and you think it's all linked back to this cop?"

Washu grinned. "Well I never actually said that. But yes, that's right."

"Did I leave anything out?"

Mihoshi perked up and raised her hand, practically bouncing out of her seat. Ryoko and Washu both turned toward her. She shrank back a little at the looks they shot her. "Oh . . . um . . ," she started, readjusting herself in her seat and looking at Ryoko. "It's just that you forgot about Ayeka and Sasami taking Tenchi with them to Jurai, and how you didn't put up much of a fuss about it, that's all."

Washu grinned and turned to look at Ryoko. "Hey, that's right. I'd almost forgotten about all that."

Ryoko frowned. "Hey, let's not go changing the subject. So what are we waiting for, anyway?"

"So you two don't mind?" Washu said, turning back toward Ryo-oh-ki's controls. "Let's just take our time then," Washu said, turning Ryo-oh-ki around and heading slowly back into the asteroids.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Amos's cargo hold was by far the largest single compartment in the ship and was, in fact, the sole purpose for the ship's existence. Normally the hold would be filled with ore samples waiting to be examined by Company scientists, who would cross-examine their findings with the ship's logs and the crew's reports. They would then send this information up to the head office along with their own recommendations, and the company executives would then decide which fields to mine next. So while on the whole the _Amos_ was a rather small ship, its cargo hold was the exception, accounting for half of the ship's internal pressurized area.

Shinjiro reached the end of the passageway and stopped in front of the doors to the cargo hold. The lights in the passageway were dimmed, and the light from the hold shone through the circular windows of the doors, illuminating his face. He stood there for a moment, staring at the doors. A thought struck him, and he looked back over his shoulder, down the short, dark passageway. He smiled and turned back to the doors and their windows of light. He stepped forward and the doors opened.

The hold was filled with the large crates he'd purchased back at the thieves market. Most of the contents were useless now, as he'd been planning on outfitting Detective Kuramitsu's patrol ship with the more powerful weapons that were available on the black market. Granted, most of the weapons that the G.P. used came from the genius minds of the Science Academy, but there was always some mad scientist in the criminal underworld that was willing to modify the police and military weapons, making them much more potent than their original design. And usually more dangerous to use as well, seeing as the simplest modifications usually involved removing the safety devices.

He shook his head as he walked around the boxes that were stacked in the middle of the room. Kuramitsu had surprised him. He'd expected her to be more reasonable than she had proven. Why he'd expected this, he couldn't say. He'd read her report, had gotten a glimpse of how her thought process worked. She was a brilliant detective, to be sure, but there was something about her that seemed . . . off. Reading the report it was hard to say just how she had managed to destroy Kagato, and indeed, in the end it had been Ryoko who had actually done most of the work, with Mihoshi simply being in the right place at the right time. Or so it would seem. The report had felt rather odd, and during their earlier discussion Washu had muttered something about 'editing'.

But he should have known that Mihoshi would not be willing to work with him against her friends. Still, he had hoped that her training would have instilled more of a sense of duty than she'd exhibited.

"Water under the bridge," he muttered as he stood there, looking up at the stack of useless and expensive equipment. He'd been forced to pull out all the stops in order to scrape up enough currency to pay Rodger and Adrian and to get the weapons he'd thought he'd need, and it still hadn't been enough. The G.P. had tightened security on the financial lines more than he'd expected, and he'd only gotten enough money to pay the miners half of what he'd promised. He never let on that he didn't have the rest of the money, but instead had used their stop at the thieves market as an opportunity to try and strong-arm some money from one of the lesser gang leaders. Things had gone sour, and he'd almost gotten them all killed. His situation had not improved since.

He sighed and turned around, leaning against the crates. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?" he asked himself. Here he was, on the far side of the universe in an old survey ship, attempting to single-handedly apprehend possibly one of the most devious criminals ever, and even he wasn't certain how it had all come to pass. He folded his hands behind his head, and his eyes came to rest on his escape pod, nestled in a far corner of the hold.

It was the first good look he'd gotten at it, and Amos had been right: He truly was lucky to be alive. The pod was made from a relatively soft and flexible material designed to absorb the shocks and impacts of an emergency escape, but it was damaged well beyond all reasonable limits. He pushed himself away from the crates and walked over to the silver-skinned pod. Its scarred surface stared back at him, defying logic. He reached out and grabbed hold of the seam that split the surface and pulled it aside so that he could see inside. The darkness of the pod's interior was complete, and the memories came flooding back, flashing through his mind in random, jumbled bursts . . .

. . . _Pipes were bursting around him and people were running scared, some with a purpose and others trying to get away from the smoke that surrounded them all and rose up to cover the loud number thirty-three with a blanket of confusion . . ._

_ . . . He saw her pod in front of him and he reached out to touch it, and then he was beside it, close enough to touch . . ._

_ . . . A low rumble started somewhere in the distance . . ._

_ . . . The world cleared in his vision. Her hair fluttered gently in the wind, flowing smooth as fire, dancing around her face and caressing every curve as she turned to face him . . ._

_ . . . A breath of warm air, breathed deep into his soul, pulsing, surging, filling him with newfound strength . . ._

_ . . . Their eyes met, and he was lost in that moment again, swimming in the deep green ocean that was her eyes, adrift for all eternity. Wisps of smoke drifted slowly between them . . ._

_ . . . And the fire was beautiful . . ._

He slammed the two halves of the pod together again and stepped back, momentarily stupefied by the sudden surge of emotion. The power of the visions had been surprising; their clarity unreal. He ran his hands through his hair and leaned against the nearest bulkhead. "Good lord, what's happening to me?" he muttered.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

A cool breeze blew through the room, and Ayeka stirred softly before waking. It was still dark outside, but there was some light reflecting off the lake that lay beyond her windows, and it filled her room with a gentle, soft light, which was of course why her bedchamber was positioned where it was. Ayeka shivered and rolled over, turning her back to the window and pulling her sheets tighter about herself.

"Please close the windows, Kamidake," she muttered. "It's cold in here." She closed her eyes and started to drift back to sleep. A moment later she heard the gentle sounds of the windows sliding shut. "Thank you," she sighed.

She breathed deeply and slowly, allowing the softness of the bed to overtake her and lull her back to sleep

"Princess Ayeka?" a gentle voice softly asked.

Still half asleep, Ayeka did not open her eyes. "Yes Sasami, what is it?"

"Open your eyes, Princess."

Ayeka moaned groggily. "Can it wait until . . . Oh! Sasami!" Her eyes flew open and she sat up so quickly that her head spun.

The child smiled at her, silhouetted against the peaceful nightscape that lay beyond the windows of Ayeka's bedchamber, and gently shook her head.

"No, not Sasami, Princess Ayeka. Or, at least, not Sasami as you know her."

Ayeka rubbed her eyes and blinked, squinting against the reflected light from the lake. The small girl in front of her took a few steps closer to the bed, and Ayeka was able to get a better look at her. She did indeed look and sound like Sasami, but there was something different about her as well. Her hair was down, and her features seemed a touch sharper; more mature. Two circles of green were neatly centered on her forehead. Ayeka gasped softly and covered her mouth as recognition dawned. The girl nodded and sat down on the edge of Ayeka's bed.

"However, you may call me Sasami if you wish," she said, "or Tsunami. Either would be correct."

Ayeka shook her head, still quite shaken and not fully aware of what was happening. "But how is this . . ." she started, looking Tsunami over, trying to separate the image of her sister from the goddess that was in front of her. "Where is Sasami?"

"She is safe, with me. We are going to try and help Washu."

Ayeka rubbed her eyes again and blinked herself fully awake. "Yes, of course," she said, sitting up straight and smoothing down her sheets. "Sasami was very worried about her."

"Yes, I know."

Ayeka sat silent for a moment, and then looked back at Tsunami. "So this is why Sasami's been acting strangely?"

Tsunami nodded.

"But I thought she had many years yet before you would assimilate?"

"As did I."

That caught Ayeka off guard slightly. "Oh? What do you mean? What is going on here, Tsunami?"

The child Tsunami rose and turned to look out the window. "I don't know."

Ayeka scoffed. "Why are you doing this then, if you don't know?"

"I had no choice. Sasami would have died if I had not merged with her at this time."

Ayeka frowned. "Isn't that what you said last time? The situation does not seem to have improved."

"I am sorry for the troubles I've caused your sister. I'm sorry there was nothing else that I could have done."

"And what about making Sasami go into fits and pass out? Are you sorry for that as well?"

Tsunami turned and looked at her. Her eyes were deep and hollow. Ayeka shrank back, the hurt on Tsunami's face making her sorry she had been sharp with her.

"That is why I had to intervene. We were in danger, and there was nothing else I could do."

"I'm sorry," Ayeka said, looking away. "I didn't mean to get angry. Thank you for helping her."

"Together, we are stronger then if we are separate. But Sasami was not yet ready for the changes assimilating with me would bring. Therefore she tried to reject me. It was very hard on her."

"Then why did you force her?"

"I had no choice." She sat down on the edge of the bed once again and turned to look out the window, thinking. "You remember the first time it happened," she said, turning back to Ayeka, "back on Earth, in your kitchen?"

"Of course."

"It was at that time that that we were the most vulnerable and that I knew something would need to be done."

"But what happened?"

"Exactly what happened I don't know, but I do know that I was attacked, and it was all I could do to fend it off. Sasami was affected as well, and that was why she passed out."

"Attacked?" Ayeka said, leaning forward. "By what? By who?"

Tsunami shrugged. "I don't know yet. After we were attacked, I was very weak, and it took me quite a while to regain my strength. I was very worried at the time that I would be attacked again, and if they had tried I fear neither Sasami or I would have survived. But they must have been weakened in the attack as well, for they didn't try again until the night of your father's celebration dinner. I was expecting another attack and was able to withstand it by assimilating with Sasami."

Ayeka sighed. "Does Sasami know all this?"

"She is starting to understand what's happening, yes."

"But you haven't told her like you're telling me?"

Tsunami smiled softly. "It would be best if you thought of us as the same being. I am Sasami, and Sasami is me. We are one now, and Sasami knows what I know, if she chooses to."

"If she chooses . . ?"

Tsunami nodded. "Like I said, Sasami was not yet ready for the assimilation, but she is beginning to accept what has happened."

Ayeka nodded and looked down at her lap. "I think I understand."

"Please remember, Princess Ayeka, even though things are different now, she is still your sister. That will never change, and neither will her love for you."

Ayeka nodded again. Tsunami smiled and looked at Ayeka kindly. She stood and took a step away from the bed. "Ryu-oh knows where we are now," she said. "You shouldn't have any problem finding us."

Ayeka looked up. "You're just a projection aren't you?"

Tsunami nodded.

"Is Miss Washu really in danger?"

Tsunami nodded again. "I'm afraid she is, but not in the way you are thinking. Mister Yakagamo is only doing what he feels is best. He doesn't want to harm her."

"Mister Yakagamo? Is he the policeman?"

"Yes."

"If he's not the problem, then why is she in danger?"

"I don't know, but I feel that whoever is after me is after her as well."

"I don't understand," Ayeka said.

"Neither do I. And that is why we are going to help her."

Ayeka shook her head and sighed. "Everything we do gets very complex, doesn't it?"

"You have to admit, it keeps things interesting," Tsunami said with a grin.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"So what do you think of all this, Amos?" Rodger asked, kicking back in his seat. The monitors that lined the console in front of him showed an array of data detailing the status of the engine and hull repairs.

"Engine repairs should be completed within two hours, sir. Remaining hull damage can be repaired while we are underway. We will need some dry dock time after we return to headquarters, but the patches should hold until that time."

Rodger frowned at the computer unit. "That's not what I was talking about, Amos. You know that."

"I don't know that I do, sir."

"Don't be coy. I mean Shinjiro and Washu and that space pirate flying around in a Galaxy Police patrol ship and that good looking blonde detective and everything else."

"Last I knew, I wasn't allowed to think about all that."

"Don't tell me you're actually sore about all this."

"I'm just following my orders to ignore the serious breaches of company protocol that have been taking place recently. Though I don't know how you are planning on explaining the damage we have incurred, or how you are going to doctor the logs. But like I said, I'm not supposed to think about that."

Rodger sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I got us all into this mess. I really am. But I'd really like to know your take on the situation."

Rodger thought he heard Amos sigh. For an older model, the ships computer could sometimes come across as amazingly human. Rodger shuddered briefly at the thought of working on a ship with a newer interface. Amos's human tendencies could be unnerving enough, sometimes.

"Well, for one, I still believe that rescuing the Lieutenant was the right thing to do," Amos said.

Rodger chuckled. "You think I was worried about that?"

"That is the logical starting point for everything that's happened."

"Aside from the blame factor, have you come to any other conclusions?"

"It is my firm belief that the Lieutenant is suffering from some sort of mental breakdown, most likely brought about from his traumatic experience's following the destruction of the Galaxy Police headquarters. While his belief that Professor Hakubi was responsible for the release of the prisoner Kain and the subsequent destruction of headquarters may be valid, he should have consulted with the surviving G.P. command structure before pursuing any further course of action."

"And Adrian and I acted rather hastily in agreeing to help him in his pursuit."

"You said to leave out any blame. But that is one advantage to being a computer: I'm not affected by such material matters as greed."

"Thanks," Rodger muttered.

"So what do you wish to do now?"

"I say we cash in our chips and head home. But that's up to Adrian, really. Where is he, anyway?"

Amos's processors processed for a moment. "He is currently in the starboard passageway, heading for the cargo hold."

"Could you ask him to come up here? We need to talk."

"Do you want Lieutenant Yakagamo, as well?"

"No. Definitely not. Where is he, by the way?"

"He is in the cargo bay as well."

Rodger sighed. "Damn. That's all I need, for those two to get in a row."

"I'm sorry, sir, but the intercom units in the cargo bay seem to be offline. I'm running diagnostics now, but it would seem they were damaged in the explosion."

"Don't worry about it then, but keep an eye on those two, if you would."

"Yes sir."

The light from the cargo bay spilled into the passageway as the doors opened for Adrian. He blinked his eyes against the brightness and then stepped into the large room. The doors slid shut behind him and he paused, frowning up at the large boxes that filled the center of the hold.

"That should be ore," he muttered to himself as he looked from one box to the next. The logic of it all escaped him. They'd been away from home office now for over two months and should have been on their way back by now with a hold overflowing with ore samples. Instead they had boxes.

"Damn it all, anyway," he muttered, turning away from the crates. The rest of the hold was empty for the most part, with only a few small boxes of spare parts and tools scattered here and there. He saw what he was looking for against the aft bulkhead and he started across the room when a glint of light in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned and saw Shinjiro's escape pod against the opposite bulkhead, half hidden by the crates. He shook his head in disgust. The whole reason they were in the mess they were in now was because of that stupid thing. He growled quietly under his breath and started to turn away, then pulled a double-take. He took a couple steps deeper into the bay so that he could see around the boxes better. Shinjiro was back there, leaning against the bulkhead next to the pod.

He grumbled again and started toward the G.P. Officer. Shinjiro looked up as he got closer. "What're you doin' in here?" Adrian asked.

"Hello to you, too," Shinjiro replied. He shook his head and blinked, as though he were just waking up, and pushed away from the wall.

Adrian walked over to him and crossed his arms. "I asked what you were doing."

Shinjiro frowned. "I wasn't aware I was banned from the cargo bay, Captain."

Adrian growled. "Listen, wise-ass. Since we brought you on board you've been nothin' but trouble. I want to know just what the hell sort of mess you dragged us into here."

Shinjiro choked back a laugh. "Dragged? I didn't drag you into anything. I made an offer and you accepted."

"You weren't square with us."

"I told you everything I know."

"You don't know shit."

Shinjiro's eyes narrowed to slits. The two stared at each other for a moment, the space between them growing thick with tension. "Fine," Shinjiro said slowly, studying Adrian's face. "You want to know what I know?"

"Yeah."

"Then you're out of luck, buddy, 'cause you're right. I don't know shit."

Adrian scoffed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"All of this. Everything that's happened up until now. I don't know why it's happening."

"It's happening because of you," Adrian said with a scowl. "You're messed in the head, pal, and you're dragging us along for the ride."

"I never forced you to do anything."

"No, you just lied to us about what was really going on."

"I didn't lie about anything! I told you all that I knew at the time and made you guy's an offer which _you_ then accepted."

Adrian threw up his hands. "Just a second ago you said you didn't have a clue what the hell was going on!"

Shinjiro shook his head. "I said I didn't know why this was happening. But I do know why I'm here."

"Bullshit. You don't . . ."

"I know what I saw! Damnit, she was _there!"_

"So what?" Adrian said. "That's not even the point. I don't care about any of that, never have. The point is you're completely out of your mind and way out of your league here. You're outgunned and outmatched on every front."

"And I told you all that from the get-go. You knew what we were up against."

Adrian shook his head. "You know what? I'm done with this. I'm through. I don't care about any of it, not even the money, which you probably don't even have. I just want you off of my ship and outa' my life."

Shinjiro nodded. "Once I've got Washu, you'll never see me again."

Adrian balked. "Oh, hell no. I just told you, I'm done. First outpost we come to, hell, the first ship we pass, you're gone. Even if I gotta cram you into that P.O.S. life pod of yours and shoot you out an airlock."

It was Shinjiro's turn to growl. "But I've still got a job to do here, whether you like it or not."

Adrian balled up his fist. "You know, pal, you're about two beats away from getting thrown out an airlock right here and now."

"I'm taking Washu to see her, and you're not stopping me."

Adrian curled his other fist, popping his knuckles in the act. "I'm sure as hell gonna' try."

Shinjiro's first punch was aimed toward Adrian's kidney, which the larger man quickly sidestepped, causing Shinjiro to overextend his reach. Adrian sent his first blow toward the base of Shinjiro's skull. Shinjiro dropped forward, using his momentum and lack of balance to roll away from Adrian's fist. He quickly twisted around and brought his head up, taking a knee and staring hard at his opponent. He smiled.

"You've got some moves, old man."

Adrian shifted his weight, taking a more open stance. "This is freakin' ridiculous, man."

"I'm not going to let you stop me."

"Have it your way, then."

Shinjiro slowly rose to his feet, and Adrian looked him over, weighing his options. He stood a head taller than Shinjiro, but all that meant was that the police officer would be faster than him; more agile - more dangerous. _And he's insane,_ Adrian told himself, stepping to the right and slowly circling Shinjiro. _He's so far off his rocker there's no tellin' what he could do._

Shinjiro leapt forward once more, this time keeping his momentum in check. Adrian sidestepped again, shifting back to the left. Shinjiro pivoted and followed Adrian as he stepped back. Adrian watched for the punch that was sure to come, dropping his arms in preparation to block while tensing to deliver his own blow. The two men's eyes locked as the adrenalin surging through their systems seemed to slow time and blur their surroundings. Shinjiro grinned. _The bastard's enjoying this,_ Adrian thought briefly when a blur of motion below caught his attention, and he was barely able to stumble away from Shinjiro's leg sweep. Before he could regain his balance Shinjiro drove his palm directly into Adrian's sternum. His breath was driven instantly from his lungs and his heart fluttered as it missed a beat or two, and he was so stunned that he forgot to be in pain. In the next instant Shinjiro was on top of him again, but Adrian was able to duck away from the punch and back away. Shinjiro shifted to the right and regained his stance, balancing on the balls of his feet and watching Adrian with unflinching eyes and a little half smile that spoke of self-assuredness.

Adrian regained his breath and gasped, forcing his eyes to re-focus as he brought up his fists. His arms felt like rubber, as it was almost as if his blood had stopped flowing. The dark blur that was Shinjiro sharpened and took shape once more as Adrian's body started to recover from the devastating blow it had just received.

"So what's it going to be, Captain?" Shinjiro asked. "Still want to kick me off or what?"

"More'n ever," Adrian growled. "You could've broken my ribs, you prick."

"That was kind of the idea."

"I think they've 'gotten in a row,' sir," Amos said, sliding over to where Rodger had his feet propped on he console. Rodger looked up from the monitor he'd been half-heartedly studying.

"Took 'em long enough," he muttered, dropping his feet to the deck and pushing his chair back from the console. He stretched and stood. "How long until we're clear of the asteroids?"

"Another twenty minutes," Amos said, "and the asteroids are thinning out, so it's pretty clear sailing."

"Alright," Rodger said, turning and heading for the doors. "I'm going to go and see if can't keep those two from killing each other. You've got the helm then?"

"Yes, sir."

Rodger nodded as the doors slid open. "Wish me luck, then. Oh, and you might want to get medical prepped. I've got a feeling we'll be needing it."

The fist flew at him from his blind side. It was all Adrian could do to duck away from the punch, buying him just enough time to sloppily block the jab that quickly followed. The ferocity and skill with which Shinjiro was pressing his attack surprised him, so much so that Adrian was starting to believe that Shinjiro actually meant to take him down. And with the way the fight was going, that was starting to look more and more like a possibility.

Shinjiro pressed forward again with another volley of rapid-fire jabs, most of which Adrian was able to either dodge or deflect. He swatted away the last of Shinjiro's punches and took a step back, gasping for air and quickly wiping the sweat from his brow. Shinjiro smiled crookedly as he bobbed on the balls of his feet, shaking blood back into his arms.

"Need a break, old man?" he asked.

Adrian growled and launched himself toward Shinjiro, closing the gap between them in less than two steps. The policeman barely had time to look surprised before Adrian caught him square in the chest with his shoulder and drove him back, slamming him against the cargo ramp. Shinjiro gasped as the air was forced from his lungs, and he slumped to the deck, stunned, as Adrian stepped back.

It was Adrian's turn to grin. "How'd'ya like that, you crazy bastard?"

Shinjiro started to chuckle and pushed himself up off the deck, resting on his hands and knees.

Adrian's eyes narrowed to slits, and he scowled. "Aw, screw it," he muttered, and aimed a kick toward the G.P.'s gut.

Shinjiro looked up suddenly, his eyes on fire, and before Adrian could even blink he had caught hold of the kick and was on his feet again. He shoved Adrian's foot back at the larger man, and Adrian stumbled backward, off balance. Shinjiro stared hard at Adrian, his eyes piercing and a strange, crooked smile playing across his lips. Adrian regained his balance and stared back, surprised at the sudden change in Shinjiro's demeanor. Shinjiro continued to stare at him, and then he was directly in front of Adrian, and he watched as Shinjiro cocked his head to the side and blinked wearily. In the next instant Adrian's chest seemed to explode as Shinjiro drove his palm forward once again, and he was thrown backward through the air.

He crashed down hard amongst the cargo ramp's control machinery, and the air was suddenly filled with hydraulic fluid as hoses were ripped from their fittings.

"I thought you'd put up more of a fight, you know?" Shinjiro said, slowly walking toward Adrian as oil rained down around him.

"Screw you, pal," Adrian growled, fighting the slick deck to get back to his feet. The hydraulic hoses continued to flick through the air, hissing and whizzing as they coated the room with pale brown fluid. Shinjiro chuckled and shook his head.

"No, it's you who's screwed,"

The cargo bay doors slid open for Rodger, and it was at that moment that the seal around the cargo ramp failed from lack of hydraulic pressure. A piercing screech filled the hold as the atmosphere was sucked through the tiny gaps that formed around the ramp's perimeter, and in the next instant the ramp failed entirely. Rodger managed to grab hold of the nearest handrail as the air rushed from the compartment and lifted him off his feet. The effects of the explosive decompression struck him hard as the vortex of escaping atmosphere swirled around him, and his body suddenly felt as if it were going to explode. Behind him the boxes that filled the hold ripped from their tie downs and went flying off through the ramp opening.

The passageway doors slammed shut, and everything suddenly became very still. Rodger gasped, but there was nothing to inhale. Every inch of his body was forcing itself outward as though it were trying to rip through his skin. The only sound was the blood in his ears pounding relentlessly against his eardrums.

His strength failed him, and he let go of the handrail, and a part of him was surprised to find that he was still floating. Another part of his brain told him that it was because the gravity had failed, and yet another part of his mind told him that that was the least of his worries. His body slowly rotated in the zero-gravity, and for a moment he found himself looking out on space with his own eyes instead of through a view screen or solar-tinted window. Thousands of points of light shone back at him from beyond a field of asteroids that cast deep shadows across his vision, and then everything blurred as his eyes started to hemorrhage.

Some movement caught his attention, and he fought against the darkness that was forcing itself upon him. He slowly turned his head toward the motion and was mildly surprised to see Shinjiro walking toward him, dragging a limp Adrian behind him. The part of his mind that had told him the gravity had failed told him that he was indeed going nuts, but since he was going to die anyway why not enjoy it? Shinjiro reached out and grabbed hold of him, and Rodger had a sensation of being pulled through a sheet of warm water, followed by an immediate release of pressure. He gasped, and this time his lungs filled with air. Shinjiro helped him to his feet and propped him up.

The passageway doors opened, and they were surrounded by the vortex once again. Shinjiro shoved him forward and he crashed against the far bulkhead of the passageway. He bounced off the hard steel and felt his body being pulled once more toward the void by the torrent of rushing air. And then the doors closed, and the howling wind ceased, and he collapsed to the deck in a crumpled heap.

Rodger felt as though his body were on fire. Every part of him burned as oxygen returned to his bloodstream, and then his body went stiff as his muscles started to spasm. His head clouded and his vision darkened, and the last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness was Shinjiro dropping Adrian's limp form in the middle of the passageway and turning away from them.

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Katsuhito Masaki stood at the edge of the lake, watching as the moon rose above the hills, as full and bright as it had been the previous night. The moon's soft glow reflected off the surface of the water and silhouetted Funaho's branches against the backdrop of the evening valley. The night was wonderfully warm, and a soft breeze blew across the surface of the lake and toyed at his robes.

Funaho spoke to him, and the First Prince of Jurai sighed. The breeze gusted mildly for a moment, and a single leaf pulled free from one of Funaho's topmost branches. It drifted lazily toward the earth, twisting this way and that as the summer wind danced across the water. Katsuhito watched it fall until at last it touched the lake, causing little ripples to spread evenly outward.

He watched the leaf for a moment as it floated on the waters surface, than he sat down on a protruding tree root and looked up at Funaho. She spoke to him again, and this time he smiled and nodded, agreeing with the tree that had been with him for as long as he chose to remember.

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Well now that's not something you see every day," Washu said.

"I wonder where they all came from?" Mihoshi said, studying the scene carefully. Boxes of every size and variety were floating among the asteroids, and Ryo-oh-ki had slowed almost to a stop as the women surveyed the scene.

Ryoko stepped closer to the view screen and looked hard at the boxes. "Well," she said after a moment, "that one came from Seniwa, and that one from Ryuton, and that one from . . ."

"All right you, knock it off," Washu said, rapping Ryoko on the back of the head. "They must have jettisoned them from their cargo hold for some reason."

"But why would they do that?" Mihoshi asked.

Washu shrugged. "I don't know, but they can't be too far away. These boxes are all still floating pretty close together, so they haven't been here for very long."

"Yeah, but it also means they got their ship working again," Ryoko muttered, rubbing the large goose-egg Washu had given her.

"Of course they did," Washu said with a grin. "That's an old _Hotaru_ class cargo ship they're on. You can't kill those things unless you really mean it."

"So where do you think they went, Miss Washu?" Mihoshi asked.

"Let's see, shall we?" Washu said, pulling up Ryo-oh-ki's navigation screens and running a scan of the area. Ryoko peered over her shoulder and frowned as she studied the screen.

"I don't see them anywhere."

Washu frowned, too. "There's no way they could have made it out of range by now." She turned and waged a finger at Ryo-oh-ki's control crystal. "You're just not looking hard enough."

"Hey! Don't blame this on her," Ryoko said, elbowing Washu away from the computer screen as Ryo-oh-ki's crystal bowed its head and meowed pitifully. "This is all your fault anyway, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for reminding me," Washu said, dropping into the command seat. Ryoko scanned the area a couple more times, increasing the power each time. Then she threw up her hands and deactivated the screen.

"There not out there," she said, falling backwards and floating just above the deck, her hands behind her head. "Hey! Maybe I actually did destroy them?"

"Wrong," Washu said. "We'd be finding bits and pieces of them scattered all over the place if you had. And besides, that wasn't a very good shot you know."

Ryoko crossed her legs and sat up. "It's not my fault G.P. ships don't know how to shoot," she said, pointing at Mihoshi, who pouted.

"No," Washu said, kicking back and folding her arms behind her head. "I think he's just hiding somewhere waiting for us to find him. Remember, this guy's not dumb. He left all these boxes here for us to find, knowing that we'd slow down to investigate." She smiled to herself and rapped the side of her head. "And we played right into his hands."

Ryo-oh-ki meowed and a screen popped up in front of her. She leaned forward and studied the screen for a moment, then grinned. "Well now, that didn't take long did it?"

Ryoko drifted down to look over Washu's shoulder. "What? They're here already?"

Washu gave a sharp nod and hopped out of her seat. "Yep. So all we gotta do now is . . ." she stopped short and looked over her shoulder at the view screen. "What!? No way!"

A blinding bright light exploded all around them, and they stumbled back at the intensity of the flash. Ryo-oh-ki cried out in alarm, and then just as quickly as it had arrived, the light was gone. Mihoshi lay still for a moment, blinking, before picking herself up off the floor.

"What happened?" she said, looking around in a confused daze. Ryoko was lying on the floor a few feet away from her. One of Ryo-oh-ki's crystals popped up next to Mihoshi and meowed. The view screen flashed and showed the _Amos_ turning away from them and flying off into the asteroids. "Oh no, Miss Washu," she said, pointing at the screen. "I think they're getting away."

Ryo-oh-ki meowed again and shook her head. Mihoshi looked away from the screen and saw that Ryoko was still lying on the deck, unmoving. Washu was nowhere to be seen. Mihoshi gasped and dropped to her knees next to Ryoko. She looked her over, the scared feeling she'd had when Ryoko and Washu had collapsed the previous night returning, and then scooped her into her arms. Ryoko was limp, and her arms flopped to her sides. The gem on her wrist was glowing bright red. Mihoshi stared at it for a moment, transfixed, when Ryo-oh-ki cried out again. She looked up and saw that the _Amos_ was now nothing more than a tiny speck on the view screen.

Mihoshi's lip started to quiver, then she bit down and blinked back the tears that were starting to blur her vision. "Ryo-oh-ki," she said, gently laying Ryoko back on the floor. "Do you know where Miss Washu is?"

Ryo-oh-ki started meowing excitedly and magnified the part of the view screen that showed the _Amos_. Even magnified, the ship still appeared small, it was so far away now. Mihoshi stood, nodding. "Okay then," she said, trying to keep her voice from cracking too badly, "we need to go after them."

A dozen or so crystal materialized around Ryoko. They glowed brightly for a moment, and then they and Ryoko sunk through the floor. Mihoshi watched as Ryoko disappeared, and Ryo-oh-ki meowed reassuredly. The ship started to move forward.

And then the space around them started to shimmer. Ryo-oh-ki's alarms started to flash, and then immediately ceased. Screens started popping up all around the bridge, flashing random images and jumbles of information. Mihoshi looked around her wildly. "What . . ?"

One section of the screen highlighted itself and remained steady. A portion of space in the center of the screen grew exceptionally dark, and slowly but steadily, so that Mihoshi didn't even notice at first, a halo of light surrounded the darkness. First one section of the darkness and then the next began to take on form, until finally before Mihoshi's surprised eyes there was a gleaming white starship floating in stark contrast to the blackness of space and the dull brown of the asteroids.

Mihoshi gasped. "Oh my," she whispered, "Tsunami."

**End of Part 2**


End file.
